Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

6/18/2011 at 10:00am

Image by Mark Wagner

Rotnei Clarke has requested his release from the Arkansas basketball program.

Rotnei Clarke is no longer a part of the Arkansas basketball team.

KNWA, a Northwest Arkansas-based TV station, citing “sources close to the Arkansas program,” reported Friday that Coach Mike Anderson informed the team that Clarke was no longer a Razorback. It is unclear if Clarke was dismissed from the team or granted the scholarship release he was seeking.

Clarke asked for his release, but told CBSSports.com earlier in the day that Anderson and Arkansas would not grant the request.

Arkansas officials — as they have done all week — did not respond to a request seeking comment. Attempts to reach Clarke were unsuccessful.

Clarke, a six-foot guard, told Jeff Goodman of CBSSports:

“I have spent the last couple of months getting to know Coach Anderson, his staff and his system. And I still feel as though it's best for me to finish my career somewhere else."

Clarke asked for a release in April after John Pelphrey was fired. He met with Anderson and agreed to stay, but has since decided he does not want to remain with the program for his senior season.

Anderson, who has released two players this month, would not grant Clarke's request, according to the report. Clarke told Goodman he’d attempted to reach out to Athletic Director Jeff Long, but had been unsuccessful.

Long is not in town this week. Members of Long’s administrative staff, including compliance director Jon Fagg, have been out of town this week as well.

Forward Glenn Bryant is now at Eastern Michigan and point guard Jeff Peterson announced he was “leaving to pursue other opportunities.” Should Clarke leave, the Razorbacks would be down to 10 scholarship players. Arkansas would also take an Academic Progress Rate hit, an area where the school is already on shaky ground with the NCAA.

Clarke averaged 15.2 points per game and shot 44 percent from the field in 2010-11. Arkansas counted heavily on Clarke's shooting the last three seasons, and he's 91 3-pointers away from Pat Bradley's school record of 375. Bradley played at Arkansas when Anderson was an assistant and thrived in an uptempo system. Clarke told Goodman he didn’t think he was a “good fit” for Anderson’s system.

“I love the school and the fans. But I just don’t feel as though it’s the best fit for me basketball-wise – and it’s tough watching guys like Jeff and Glenn be able to go somewhere else, where I’m not able to.”

This is not the first time Clarke has considered transferring. In fact, he reportedly wanted a release from the program under Pelphrey at the end of the 2009-10 season, but decided to stay. KNWA said Clarke has asked for a release at least three times in the three years he was at Arkansas.

Clarke would have to sit out a season if he transferred to another Division I program. Clarke’s sister, Cassie, left the Arkansas volleyball program earlier this year. She transferred to Saint Louis University.

Tagged: John Pelphrey, Mike Anderson, Jeff Goodman, Rotnei Clarke, Arkansas Razorbacks, Glenn Bryant, CBSSPorts.com