Rotnei Clarke facts for kids
Clarke with Baskets Bonn in 2015
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| Scafati Basket | |
|---|---|
| Point guard / shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 20, 1989 Claremore, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | Verdigris (Claremore, Oklahoma) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 183 lb (83 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2013 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2013–present |
| League | Serie A2 |
| Career history | |
| 2013–2014 | Wollongong Hawks |
| 2014–2015 | Okapi Aalstar |
| 2015–2016 | Telekom Baskets Bonn |
| 2016–2018 | Illawarra Hawks |
| 2017–2018 | VL Pesaro |
| 2018–2019 | Pallacanestro Trapani |
| 2019–2020 | Pallacanestro Mantovana |
| 2020–2021 | Anwil Włocławek |
| 2021 | Cestistica San Severo |
| 2021–present | Scafati Basket |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Rotnei Clarke (born July 20, 1989) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for Scafati Basket in Italy. Before becoming a pro, he played college basketball for the University of Arkansas and Butler University.
Rotnei started his professional career in Australia with the Wollongong Hawks. In his first year, he was named the NBL's Most Valuable Player. He is known for being a great three-point shooter. He can play as a point guard or a shooting guard.
Contents
Rotnei's Early Life
Rotnei Clarke was born to Conley and Christine Clarke. He was named after a fast football player, Rotnei Anderson. His dad wanted him to have a "fast name." Rotnei is also a small part Cherokee. He is related to famous people like actor Will Rogers and athlete Jim Thorpe.
From a young age, Rotnei loved sports. By fourth grade, he and his dad shot hoops almost every day. His parents were sports coaches. They made sure Rotnei could always practice basketball. By seventh grade, he tried to make 500 shots every night.
High School Basketball Star
Freshman Year: A Strong Start
Rotnei's family moved back to Oklahoma. His dad and uncle became coaches at Verdigris High School. Rotnei joined the team as a freshman. He averaged 20 points per game. He shot 47% on three-pointers. The team won its first state playoff game ever. Rotnei became known to college recruiters.
Sophomore Year: Amazing Scoring
In 2005–06, Rotnei scored 41 and 44 points in two games. In another game, he scored 55 points! Fans loved watching him play. So many people came that highway signs were updated for Verdigris. He led the state in scoring with 34.2 points per game. He was named Metro Player of the Year. He was the first sophomore since 1980 to win this award.
Junior Year: Facing Challenges
By his junior year, Rotnei was a local hero. But opposing fans sometimes said mean things. This just made him want to play better. Opponents played very physically against him. His coaches even told him to avoid the foul lane to stay safe. He once scored a career-high 65 points. In another game, he even got a death threat.
In one playoff game, 2,800 fans came to watch him. This was more than the gym could hold. He scored 57 points. In another playoff game, he scored 60 points. This set a new state record for a single tournament game. He averaged 37.2 points per game that season. For the third year, his team lost in the state semi-finals. He was again named Player of the Year.
Senior Year: Breaking Records
In his senior year, Rotnei chased the state scoring record. The old record was 3,639 points. On February 29, 2008, he broke the record. He scored his 3,640th point on a free throw. He said he was "glad to have it out of the way" to focus on winning a state championship.
More than 13,000 people watched the 2008 state finals. This was the biggest crowd for a high school game in Oklahoma. Rotnei scored 25 points. He led Verdigris to their first state championship! After the game, he signed autographs for 90 minutes. The town even renamed a street "Rotnei Clarke Road." His school retired his jersey.
Rotnei finished high school with 3,758 points. This was the most in Oklahoma high school history. He averaged 33.2 points per game. He scored over 40 points 34 times. He scored over 50 points seven times. He shot 47% on three-pointers. His team had a great record of 99 wins and 15 losses.
Rotnei was also a great student. He had a 4.0 grade point average. He was a role model for younger players. His strong Christian faith inspired many classmates.
College Basketball Journey
Choosing a College
After high school, Rotnei was very popular with colleges. He got over 50 scholarship offers. ESPN ranked him as one of the best players in his class. He chose Arkansas. He liked the fans and the coaches. His family even moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to support him.
Playing for Arkansas
In his freshman year, Rotnei started all 30 games. He averaged 12.2 points per game. He was a top three-point shooter among freshmen. In his sophomore year, he set a record. He made 13 three-pointers in one game! He scored 51 points in that game, a school record. He finished the year with 100 three-pointers.
As a junior, he continued to play well. He scored a career-high 36 points against Vanderbilt. He led Arkansas with 15.2 points per game. He was named to the All-SEC second team.
Transferring to Butler
Arkansas did not make the NCAA tournament while Rotnei was there. His coach was fired. Rotnei decided to leave Arkansas. About 40-50 schools wanted him. He chose Butler. Butler had played in the national championship game twice. He wanted to be with "good teammates, good people."
He had to sit out a year before playing for Butler. He used this time to practice a lot. He practiced alone in the gym, making 500 shots every night. He even got a key to the building. He also had surgery on his ankle. This was a tough time for him, but it strengthened his faith.
Senior Year: Butler Success
In his senior year (2012–13), Rotnei was ready to play. In a big tournament, he hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer! The video of the shot became very popular online. He said it was "one of the coolest things ever."
On December 15, 2012, Butler played against the number one ranked Indiana. Rotnei hit a three-pointer that helped Butler win in overtime. This win put Butler in the top 25 rankings.
In January 2013, Rotnei had a scary moment. He crashed headfirst into the basket support after a foul. He was numb from the neck down. Doctors said he was "really lucky" not to have serious damage. He walked out of the hospital with a neck brace. He realized that "there are more important things than a game of basketball."
He missed three games but came back strong. He scored 24 points and had 9 assists in his first game back. He finished the season averaging 16.7 points per game. He led his conference in three-pointers made. He helped Butler get a great record and make it to the NCAA tournament. This was his first time in a postseason tournament.
Rotnei finished his college career with 389 made three-pointers. This is one of the most in NCAA history. He said he was "blessed and thankful" for his time at Butler.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting in Australia
After college, Rotnei was not chosen in the 2013 NBA draft. He decided to play professionally overseas. On August 1, 2013, he signed with the Wollongong Hawks in Australia. In his first game, he scored 20 points. He played very well all season. He was named the NBL Most Valuable Player for the 2013–14 season. He averaged 21.1 points per game.
Playing in Europe
After Australia, Rotnei played for teams in Europe.
- In 2014–15, he played for Okapi Aalstar in Belgium. He averaged 17.5 points per game.
- In 2015–16, he played for Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany.
Return to the Hawks and Italy
On July 12, 2016, Rotnei signed a two-year deal to return to the Illawarra Hawks in Australia. He had a great season in 2016–17. He scored a season-high 29 points in one game. He was named the NBL Best Sixth Man Award. He helped the Hawks reach the NBL Grand Final series.
After the Australian season, he played in Italy for Victoria Libertas Pesaro. He averaged 19.5 points per game there. He played another season with the Illawarra Hawks in 2017–18. Then he returned to Italy, playing for Pallacanestro Trapani and Pallacanestro Mantovana.
Playing in Poland and Back to Italy
In 2020, Rotnei played for Anwil Włocławek in Poland. In 2021, he returned to Italy. He signed with Cestistica San Severo and then with Scafati Basket, where he plays now.
Rotnei's Skills and Awards
Rotnei started as a shooting guard. But he worked hard to improve his game. He wanted to be more than just a shooter. He learned to shoot while dribbling and drive to the basket. He also learned to play point guard.
Many experts have called Rotnei one of the best shooters in college basketball. He was a finalist for the 2013 Naismith College Player of the Year award. His coach, Brad Stevens, said Rotnei could make "so many tough threes with just a sliver of daylight." Rotnei can shoot the ball very quickly, in about 0.6 seconds!
Rotnei is known as a "gym rat" because he works so hard. In high school, he would practice for four hours or more. He would make 500 three-pointers and 200 free throws. He believes that if you want something badly, you will work hard to get it. His work ethic inspires his teammates.
Rotnei's Personal Life
Rotnei's Christian faith is very important to him. He believes God put him on Earth to play basketball. When he had surgery and couldn't play, he struggled. But he realized that his relationship with God was always there, even without basketball.
He is sometimes called the "Tim Tebow of basketball." He likes to share his faith with others. He would leave letters for opposing players explaining what Jesus meant to him. He also spoke at churches and events.
Rotnei is a quiet person. He has a close relationship with his sister, Cassie. They send each other Bible verses before games. He also enjoys hunting and fishing. He listens to Christian rap music. After his playing career, he hopes to become a coach. He says he will "never get away from the game of basketball."
In June 2014, Rotnei married Patricia Elliott. They have a daughter named Kyah.
Images for kids
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Clarke with Baskets Bonn in 2015
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Clarke dribbles the ball against LSU on February 18, 2009
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Clarke launches a shot against LSU February 18, 2009
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Clarke prepares to take a free throw against Morgan State on November 25, 2009
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Clarke (front) and his Arkansas teammates prepare to defend against Morgan State on November 24, 2009
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Clarke (far right) and his Arkansas teammates on defense against LSU on February 10, 2010
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Clarke shoots over a Morgan State defender on November 25, 2009
