Rotnei Clark

[BigTime]

Really wish he would have come to OU. The probation stuff and waiting on the NCAA to rule really killed us imo.

He and Pledger would have made a deadly shooting duo. Oh well.

 

[WTSooner]

He is exactly what we need for next year. I agree.

 

[rickjames]

If we make the NCAA Tourney and Butler doesn't, he will probably regret not coming here.

 

[Tundrasooner]

That was the NCAA punishment. The wait. That was more punishment than a scholarship. Other schools used the hell out of it to negatively recruit against OU.

 

[vbdad]

He wouldn't make up his mind. The coaches finally quit recruiting him. He needed to buy in completely. For my money he would have started easily next year instead of Pledger. Pledger probably would have moved on to a new school.

 

[WTSooner]

Clark would be better served coming off the bench, or possibly even starting alongside Pledger. I don't see him sending Pledger to the bench though.

 

[Sawyer]

That was the NCAA punishment. The wait. That was more punishment than a scholarship. Other schools used the hell out of it to negatively recruit against OU.

The wait before judgment is the NCAA's most powerful tool against schools that cheat. It can cause significant damage to a school's reputation and requires no proof. If they feel you've cheated but done a good job covering it up, they'll just keep you waiting. Meanwhile, speculation continues, coaches use it against you and your reputation is damaged.

OU and MU have both dealt with this in the not too distant past. The NCAA's investigation of Quin ended up being one of the final nails in his coffin, but they didn't actually find much in the way of violations. They instead just waited and let the media tear us apart. Quin never had a chance after that (not that he had much of one before that anyway). I don't remember the specifics of the OU situation (honestly, I didn't pay much attention because it seemed like there wasn't much there), but there was definitely a change in Capel's recruiting in the last couple classes. No doubt the NCAA's stalling was at least partially to blame for having to resort to the Nick Thompsons and CJ Washingtons of the world.

 

[garyeb2]

Rotnei was one of the premire shooting guards in the country when he was available last year. He would have certainly started at OU or anywhere else he landed. But, I don't really think the NCAA deal had much to do with it. I guess that I'm a cynic. But, I think he was just being polite with that story.

He came in here and worked out with the players and did the same at Butler. He just went where he thought he had the best chance of spending his last year playing for a good team. Remember, Butler was just coming off two pretty good years.

I hate that we missed out on him. And things might have worked out differently if he had seen M'baye and Grooms. They got to campus after he came thru. Like anyone else he could have seen that M'baye has a chance to be a good one and that Grooms was capable enough to pass it to him when he was open.

 

[Boomer]

I thought one of the main reasons he didn't come to OU was because of Willie Warren.

 

[DenverSooner]

He wouldn't make up his mind. The coaches finally quit recruiting him. He needed to buy in completely. For my money he would have started easily next year instead of Pledger. Pledger probably would have moved on to a new school.

I am sorry but this makes zero sense. Pledger would not have transferred going into this season because Clark wasn't even eligible. Pledger didn't fear coming to OU when OU had Willie Warren, Ray Willis, TMG and several other highly rated guys. Do you truly believe after scoring 16.2 points per game as a junior that Pledger would tuck tail and transfer in fear of Clark?

I don't know either guy but I am pretty sure that neither of them are afraid to compete. Both would likely go into fall practice fully expecting to start and play 30 minutes a game. I have no clue who wins a battle if only one of them can start (and both might start) but I am confident both would embrace the challenge and expect themselves to win the starting job.

 

[TEvans4Three]

No offense, but if I wasn't a diehard OU fan...I would have chosen Butler. Of course, I am also a big Brad Stevens and Butler fan. I love their style of play and the type of coach that Stevens is. It is hard to argue with a team that went to the Championship game 2 years in a row recently from a school that is not considered "powerhouse" with a team full of non-bluechippers.

I am attempting to go the volunteer assistant route into a program very soon.