An Arkansas basketball player was hot from three-point range in Friday night’s Red-White intrasquad game.
But it was Mardracus Wade hitting 5 of 8 three-pointers, not Rotnei Clarke.
Clarke, a junior guard who has hit 183 three-pointbaskets his first two years at Arkansas, wasn’t even in Walton Arena for the Razorbacks’ f irst public appearance this season because he has beensuspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
Arkansas announced in a news release shortly before Friday night’s tipoff that Clarke has been suspended for the Red-White game and the Razorbacks’ first exhibition game against LeMoyne-Owen College on Nov. 6. He is continuing to practice with the team and is expected to play in the second exhibition game against Victory University on Nov. 11.
Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey declined to be specific about why Clarke wassuspended, but spoke highly of him.
“I think the greatest form of love sometimes is when you care enough to discipline somebody,” Pelphrey said. “This absolutely changes nothing about Rotnei Clarke or the way I feel about him.
“He’s still a very, very special young man. He’s done great things as a player, as a person, as a student, and he’ll do more of those as time goes by.”
The announcement that Clarke broke a team rule was shocking in that he essentially has become the face of theprogram because of his threepoint shooting skills and personal image.
Clarke, who averaged a team-high 15.1 points last season, is pictured on the cover of this season’s Arkansas media guide along with sophomore forward Marshawn Powell.
“He’s a tremendous, tremendous young man, but he’s no different than anybody else,” Pelphrey said. “He makes mistakes and he’s human. .... We’re all very, very affectionate about him, and him making mistakes doesn’t change that.”
Pelphrey said Clarke is handling the suspension “like the champion that he is” and that he still considers Clarke to be “a great, great role model for young people.
“As a father, you hope some day that your daughter is fortunate enough to bring somebody home like that.”
Wade, a freshman guard from Memphis, finished with 18 points to lead the Red team to a 38-19 victory. Freshman forward Marvell Waithe had 7 points, 9 rebounds and 1 blocked shot for the Red team and sophomore guard Julysses Nobles had 4 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Senior forward Delvon Johnson had 6 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots for the White team.
Clarke was among three key players who missed the gamealong with Powell and junior point guard Jeff Peterson.
Powell still hasn’t been cleared for full speed practice as he continues to recover from a broken left foot and Peterson has been bothered by a hamstring injury.
With three Razorbacks not dressing, assistant coach Brett Nelson - who starred at Florida - dressed and played for the Red team.
In the women’s game earlier Friday night, the Red team made up of the Razorbacks’ potential starting lineup beat the White team 39-21.
Sophomore forward Sarah Watkins led the Red team with 16 points, hitting 5 of 6 field goal attempts and 6 of 6 free throws. Junior guard Lyndsay Harris added 11 points for the Red.
“I feel like it’s really important we get off to a good start this year, and so I’m putting a lot of emphasis on having good chemistry,” Arkansas Coach Tom Collen said of loading up the Red team rather than dividing the rosters evenly. “We knew the sides maybe were a little bit lopsided.
“The White team has competed with the Red teamreally, really well in practice. But there were a lot of kids on that White team that were newcomers and they were a little more nervous, I think, than some of the veterans.”
The Red team starters were Watkins, Harris, junior guard C’eira Ricketts, sophomore forward Quistelle Williams and freshman forward Keira Peak.
Junior forward Ashley Daniels, a returning starter, didn’t play because she has been sidelined for a few practices after having her wisdom teeth pulled.
MEN
RED 38, WHITE 19
WHITE (19)
Farmer 3-6 0-1 6, Scott 105 0-0 2, Bryant 2-3 0-0 5, Britt 0-4 0-1 0, Johnson 3-5 0-0 6, Haydar 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 9-24 0-2 19.
RED (38)
Nelson 1-3 0-0 3, Wade 5-10 3-3 18, Waithe 2-6 2-3 9, Nobles 1-4 2-2 4, Sanchez 1-5 0-0 2, Mason 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 12-32 7-8 38.
3-Point Goals- White 1-8 (Farmer 0-1, Scott 0-1, Bryant 1-2, Britt 0-4; Red 7-17 (Wade 5-8, Nelson 1-3, Waithe 1-4, Nobles 0-2)
Fouled Out-None. Rebounds- White 13 (Johnson 5); Red 25 (Waithe 9) Assists-White 5 (Britt 4); Red 7 (Nobles 3). Total Fouls-White 9; Red 5.
WOMEN
RED 39, WHITE 21
WHITE (21)
Hatcher 1-3 0-0 3, Townsend 3-7 0-2 6, Walter 0-3 0-0 0, Rees 2-7 0-0 5, Delgado 2-5 0-0 4, Westbrook 0-0 0-0 0, Gatling 1-4 0-0 3. Totats 9-29 0-2 21.
RED (39)
Peak 0-1 0-0 0, Watkins 5-6 6-6 16, Ricketts 2-5 0-0 4, Harris 4-7 0-0 11, Williams 3-6 0-0 6, Inman 1-2 0-0 2, Powell 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 15-28 6-6 39. 3-Point Goals- White 3-9 (Hatcher 1-3, Walter 0-1, Rees 1-3, Delgado 0-1, Gatling 1-1); Red 3-8 (Harris 3-6, Ricketts 0-1, Inman 0-1). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds- White 11 (Walter 4); Red 24 (Watkins, Ricketts, Williams 5) Assists-White (Delgado, Gatling 2); Red 8 (Peakl 4). Total Fouls-White 3; Red 7.
Sports, Pages 17 on 10/23/2010