Clarke dealing with tendinitis

FAYETTEVILLE — If you see Rotnei Clarke walking around with a big brace on his left knee, Arkansas’ leading scorer said not to be alarmed.

Clarke said the brace is to “keep the bend” out of his knee as he continues to get treatment for tendinitis.

“It basically looks like my leg is broke with the kind of brace I’m wearing, but it’s not anything like that,” Clarke said Sunday. “It looks bad ... but it’s fine. There’s no worries.”

Clarke, a sophomore guard averaging 19.9 points, missed Arkansas’ 76-51 victory over Alabama State last Wednesday night, then scored nine points in 27 minutes off the bench when the Razorbacks beat Stephen F. Austin 72-69 Saturday.

Clarke has missed several recent practices, but he said his knee isn’t a problem the day after playing in his first game since Dec. 7.

“I’m feeling really good,” he said. “I’m fine.”

Clarke, who is wearing a black sleeve on his knee in games, said his knee began bothering him late in the Razorbacks’ 67-47 loss at Oklahoma on Dec. 2.

Clarke praised the work of Arkansas’ training staff and said he doesn’t anticipate the knee causing him to miss other games the rest of the season.

“I’ve done a lot of rehab and a lot treatments to get to the point where I am right now and to where I could go 100 percent in the game,” he said. “It feels great even after the game. So I’m completely better.”

Prior to the Stephen F. Austin game, Clarke said he couldn’t recall ever playing off the bench in his life, and he’s been playing organized games since he was about 5 years old.

“We got the win, so it didn’t really matter to me,” he said.

Clarke said he felt goodgoing through pregame warmups.

He did stretching exercises in front of the bench to make sure his knee was loose before entering the game.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to play that much,” he said. “But it felt good playing.” Clarke started the second half with Arkansas (6-5) trailing Stephen F. Austin 33-28, and he scored the Razorbacks’ first five points to help start a comeback.

Junior Marcus Britt hasstarted the previous two games in Clarke’s place, and Coach John Pelphrey said Sunday he’s not sure who will start against Missouri State (10-0) on Tuesday night.

“We’ll wait and see how it goes here for a couple days in practice,” Pelphrey said.

Clarke said he’s not concerned with whether he gets back in the starting lineup or plays off the bench.

“Whatever Coach wants to do is fine with me,” Clarke said.

Clarke had started 39 consecutive games for the Razorbacks before sitting out against Alabama State and said never in his life could he remember missing a game for any reason.

“It was tough not being able to play,” he said. “But it was also fun being able to watch my team get a win and play well together.”Up next WHAT Arkansas (6-5) vs. Missouri State (10-10) WHEN 7 p.m. Tuesday WHERE Walton Arena, Fayetteville TV/RADIO Razorback Sports Network telecast/RSP statewide radio network