Rotnei Clarke transfers from Arkansas

[Riddlewire]

Rotnei Clarke saga ends with transfer

This has been a very big deal in the state over the past few days. In general, I hate the sport of basketball. I hate the Razorbacks even more. So I have to admit that I haven't stayed on top of this situation. However, I know the specifics and the generalities of the new coach, Mike Anderson. He was Nolan Richardson's right hand man when Nolan was accusing the entire state of being racist (yet paying him an enormous sum of money and cheering for his rapists). He was Nolan's silent head-nodder when Nolan was suing the University for mythical "racial discrimination". Anderson never took a contrary position. So it must be assumed that he agreed with everything Nolan bellowed.
I don't think the linked article has much inside information. And it appears decidedly incorrect on a few points (Clarke never agreed to stay. Instead, he was asked to "take time to think about it". And Anderson didn't "keep Pelphrey's highly touted recruiting class". He forced them. They had already signed LOIs and were denied their release.)
Clarke might have been the best basketball player in the SEC over the past three years. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck on a team full of afflete ball-hogs who actively avoided him on the court. He was further plagued by a coach who had no control of the team. Pelphrey was routinely seen screaming at his players to run a planned scheme, only to be confronted by yet another drive-and-brick 'showtime' play by his perpetually terrible guards.
Rotnei's name is being dragged through the mud currently, but he will come out clean on the other side. Meanwhile, the worst-run and possibly most corrupt college basketball program in the country (occasionally known as "We Rape U") will get what they deserve for diving back into the deep end with proven scum.

 

[celticdb15]

Any word on where he'll transfer?

 

[Riddlewire]

The University of Arkansas has a long history of fire-bombing its transferring athletes* so that they can't tranfer anywhere close (or to FBS if he's a football transfer). Rotnei would most likely want to go back to some school in Oklahoma. I expect Anderson to release the character assassins in full force to prevent him from landing anywhere other than a D2 school. And they will try to make sure his new teammates hate him before he ever shows up for practice. That's just the way the Razorbacks work.

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*Its white athletes, that is. A good example of this is the duo of Mitch Mustain and Damian Williams. Williams skipped out on the team before the bowl game his freshman year. He left school immediately, which left them with one fewer receiver at practices and hurt them in their APR numbers. Mustain on the other hand, stayed with the team through the bowl game and the rest of the semester, even though he had already declared his intention to transfer (he was told by Nuttjob that he would never play again). To this day, Williams, who is now in the NFL, is treated like a favorite son by the fanbase. Mustain, meanwhile, was the victim of one of the most heinous smear campains ever seen in college sports. Even though Nutt was fired the next season, his minions continued to stalk and harass Mustain his entire career at USC.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Riddlewire has provided an exceptional summary of the situation. Clarke has obviously been sickened by the ghetto nature of the Razorbacks' locker room for a couple of seasons now, and only his unselfishness and willingness to try and be a team player has kept him in an Arkansas uniform this long. the additional fact that new head coach Mike Anderson has never (to my knowledge) recruited a White player is probably a "mere statistical anomaly." in fact, i only know of one White player to ever get significant minutes under Anderson in his head coaching career ... a spot up shooter who usually came off the bench.

of course, none of these issues matter to the in-state fishwraps nor the drunken White idiots who "bleed Razorback red." instead, they will bash on the best player that has suited up for the Razorbacks basketball team for the last three years because he's leaving, just like they've bashed on him for three years while he was here: because he is White. ignoring obvious facts, they'll insist he couldn't create his own shot, they'll ignore his being freezed out by his negro "teammates," they'll insist he couldn't play defense, etc. all to ignore the giant pink elephant in the room.

there's been talk of him transferring to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, and even Gonzaga, but that's all just speculation as far as i can tell. regardless, i wish Rotnei the best of luck where ever he lands. it can't be a much worse situation than what he's leaving.

on a side note, incoming freshman Hunter Mickelson is in for a rude awakening. he'll be the token Whitey now ... it will be interesting to see how long before the talk of his phenomenal athleticism, speed, and shooting touch for a big man turns into yet another "we need REAL talent out there" diatribe when his teammates start jerking him around.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

rumors are circling that Butler is the front-runnerin theRotnei transfer saga. also, much of what i've said (both here on the boards and in personal discussions with fans around the state) has re-surfaced. apparently, i was pretty spot on with my assessment, sinceit seems that Rotnei has been begging for a chance to play point guard for better than two years. And, despite his repeated promises to make it happen, John Pelphrey never gave Clarke the shot to run the point.

despite this, though, it's clear that A) Clarke has developed enough ball handling skills to make the move a possibility, and B) Clarke's off-the-dribble scoring prowess was demonstrated mightily throughout this past season. in fact, for the better part of the season last year Clarke created all of his own shots because his black "teammates" refused to set screens for him. additionally, Clarke's passing ability and dominant shooting touchhave long been acknowledged ... so it's a bizarre non-move by Pelphrey to not allow Rotnei to give it a go. especially, when you consider the poor play of the acting point guards. now, new head coach Mike Anderson has lost the best player on the team who is sick of putting up with the ghetto culture embedded in the Razorbacks program.

here's an intelligent, and thoughtful column on the whole ordeal: Sharpshooter Clarke to Butler? Makes a lot of sense.

Marriages don't get any better than this. At least not second ones.


Rotnei Clarke to Butler.


The nation's elite shooter playing for the nation's elite young basketball coach.


It's almost too good to be true, but it may happen.


Clarke told CBSSports.com that he intends to visit Brad Stevens and the Bulldogs on Thursday.



Clarke wouldn't go as far as to say whether Butler was the favorites of the current group he spoke about visiting -- which included Virginia and home-state Oklahoma -- but the intrigue in his voice was clear when he mentioned the Bulldogs.


There would be no more perfect Butler player than Clarke. I can see him stepping over the midcourt line at Hinkle Fieldhouse and launching 3s.


Visions of Jimmy Chitwood from Hoosiers.


The only sad part is that these two sides didn't consummate their relationship sooner -- and didn't have four years of bliss together.


Instead, Clarke matured his game in virtual anonymity -- for three seasons under former Arkansas coach John Pelphrey before deciding he wanted to go elsewhere rather than finish his career under new coach Mike Anderson.


We all know that Gordon Hayward, Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack aren't walking through that door at Hinkle again.


But with Clarke in the fold for the 2012-13 campaign, there's no reason to believe Stevens can't make another deep tournament run.


National championship-game worthy?


Highly unlikely, but we all uttered those words that this past year -- and Stevens' magical whatever-he-touches-turns-to-gold somehow had the program back in the title contest.
Just imagine a team with Clarke surrounded by senior big man Andrew Smith as well as then-juniors Khyle Marshall and Chrishawn Hopkins.





Then you can throw one of the talented guys among the four-man incoming freshman class, whether it's 6-foot-9 Kameron Woods (who has similarities to Hayward), versatile 6-foot-4 Roosevelt Jones or 6-foot-1 Australian guard Jackson Aldridge (currently starting on the U-19 national team).


That's one heck of s starting five.


Listen, Clarke can't go wrong with any of his current options. He can go back home and play for one of the most underrated coaches in the nation, Lon Kruger, who left UNLV for Oklahoma this past offseason.


He could head to Charlottesville, Va., and play for one of the highest-character guys in the business, Virginia head coach Tony Bennett.


Or he could go play for America's Sweethearts.


I remember the first day I saw Clarke back in the summer following his sophomore year in high school. Willie Warren came over to me and told me that this little, chubby teammate of his with Team Texas was the best shooter in the nation.


I laughed at him and while Warren was off-base on many topics, he was dead-on about this.


With all respect to Vanderbilt's John Jenkins (who stands at 1B on my list of the nation's top shooters), if I want someone taking a shot from deep with the game on the line, I'm going with Clarke.


And we all know how much Butler loves to shoot the trifecta.


The 6-foot Clarke is far from a finished product -- and he's the first one to admit it. However, his game has expanded from strictly a spot-up guy to someone who can run a team and also beat defenders off the dribble.


"When he came in to college, he was a specialist," one SEC coach said. "He was a catch-and-shoot guy, a below-average player.


"Over the last 12 games last year, he did everything. He was getting to the free-throw line, was making shots -- and also making guys better. He became a complete player."


Clarke averaged nearly 20 points over the final dozen games, shooting 52 percent from beyond the arc and getting to the line more than five times a game.


He was a second-team all-league guy in the SEC, which is clearly an upgrade over the Horizon.


"He's got the potential to be the Player of the Year in the entire league," one SEC coach said.


Clarke also speaks about next season, when he'll be sitting out and unable to play, and how critical it will be to set the stage for his final season on the court.


And what better way to learn than to have to go up against one of the nation's elite perimeter defenders each day: Butler's Ronald Nored.


Clarke won't have any choice but to get better.


And he's already pretty darn good.

 

[Riddlewire]

Khyle Marshall
Chrishawn Hopkins
Kameron Woods
Roosevelt Jones

What the Hell?
I admit that I'm not following Butler's recruiting trends, but if those are the names in the pipeline, then Rotnei would do better finding somewhere else to play. He'd just be transferring from one "hood" to another.
Has success made Stevens a new Caste adherent?

 

[icsept]

It's official, he picked Butler.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsext...tid=234&articleid=20110801_234_0_Former336716

 

[Jack Lambert]

What the Hell?
I admit that I'm not following Butler's recruiting trends, but if those are the names in the pipeline, then Rotnei would do better finding somewhere else to play. He'd just be transferring from one "hood" to another.
Has success made Stevens a new Caste adherent?

Sorry I'm late with the reply, but Butler should remain white friendly for a few more seasons. Those are pretty much the black players they have that play.

Guys like Andrew Smith, Chase Stigall, Garrett Butcher, and new recruits like Andy Smeathers and Aussie Jackson Aldrige should help keep Butler white friendly.

 

[Riddlewire]

Rotnei was interviewed on local radio a short while ago.
He said he plans to continue his playing career in the NBA or in Europe (after college, of course).

I'm sure that will come as news to the Arkansas DWF fanbase. Ever since he set foot on campus they've been saying he "isn't NBA material". They took it as a given that he would quietly disappear and join the ministry after contributing to the greater glory of the Razorbacks.