FAYETTEVILLE — It might be the most asked question in Arkansas the past week that didn’t involve Ryan Mallett’s shoulder or Joe Adams’ and Greg Childs’ ankles.
Football injuries aside, what did basketball player Rotnei Clarke do to warrant being suspended from the Razorbacks’ Red-White game and exhibition opener?
“I’m not supposed to say anything,” Clarke said Friday during Arkansas’ media day when asked why he is being disciplined. “It’s something that happened in the past, and it’s over with now and it’s being dealt with.
“We’ve moved on. I’ve talked to Coach [John Pelphrey]. I’ve talked to my teammates. I’m just ready to move on and get ready for the season.”
Clarke, a 6-0 junior guard, is the Razorbacks’ leading returning scorer, averaging 15.1 points per game last season. He was voted to the preseason coaches’ All-SEC second team and in his first two years at Arkansas hit 183 of 445 threepoint attempts (41.1 percent).
Watching Clarke fire up three-pointers figured to be a highlight for fans at the Red-White game, but before tipoff last Friday night a news release was passed out to the media stating that Clarke was being disciplined for a violation of team rules.
While Pelphrey has suspended several players from games for a variety reasons in his previous three seasons as Arkansas’ coach, Clarke is one Razorback who figured to stay out of trouble.
Even after Pelphreyannounced Clarke’s suspension, he praised his character, referring to him as “a tremendous, tremendous young man” and “great, great role model” who any father would be glad to see his daughter bring home.
“It’s been a little bit tough to deal with,” Clarke said of the attention he’s drawn because of the suspension. “But when you make a mistake, you’ve got to deal with the consequences.”
Suspended players aren’t allowed to be at games, so Clarke wasn’t in Walton Arena for the Red-White game and won’t be with the team for next Saturday’s exhibition game against LeMoyne-Owen College.
“It definitely hurts me that I couldn’t be there with my team,” said Clarke, who is practicing with the team. “It’s obviously bothersome to me. But everyone makes mistakes, and I made a mistake, and it really just depends on how I’m going to deal with it.
“I’m having a good attitude and staying positive. I expect to be a team leader and be more of a vocal leader this year.”
Clarke said it pains him if fans have a here-we-go-again attitude with regards to his suspension and that it’s not a sign of more problems to come.
“That’s definitely not an indication, and it makes me feel bad because I don’t want people to think that because this team is completely different,” Clarke said. “We’ve got a lot of great guys with some great character.”
Junior point guard Jeff Peterson, who started a combined 36 games in two seasons at Iowa and redshirted last year after transferring to Arkansas, said he has been impressed with how Clarkehas handled his suspension.
“Rotnei hasn’t changed at all,” Peterson said. “He’s in here working his tail off every day. He’s a great person on and off the court.”
Clarke said he was dealtwith fairly by Pelphrey.
“I’m no different than anybody else on the team,” Clarke said. “We’re all the same people. We’re all part of the same family. No one’s better than anyone else, and no one should be treated different than anyone else.”
Arkansas assistant Rob Evans previously was a head coach at Ole Miss and Arizona State, so he understands about disciplining players.
“There are rules and regulations in any program or business that you have to adhere to if it’s going to be stable,” Evans said. “John certainly is a guy that believes in rules and regulations, as do I, and if you break those rules, then there’s a penalty to pay. But, I’ll tell you this, I think John’s handled it well, and I think Rotnei’s handled it extremely well.
“I think Rotnei will be a stronger and better player and person because he understands that’s nobody’s above the law.”
After last season, a rumor surfaced that Clarke was considering whether to transfer. It reached a point where Arkansas released a statement in which Clarke was quoted as saying he wanted to make it clear he would return to the team and that transferring never was his intention.
Clarke reiterated Friday that he will finish his college career at Arkansas.
“I was at the Arkansas state tournament when it happened and everyone was asking me about it,” Clarke said of the transfer rumor. “It’s just kind of crazy how quick things can come out, but I wasn’t ever wanting to transfer. I love it here.”
Sports, Pages 34 on 10/30/2010