AJ Ogilvy
February 2, 2021
Rotnei Clarke
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 20/07/89
- Place of Birth: Claremore, Oklahoma (USA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 183
- Weight (KG): 83
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Arkansas (2008-2011) / Butler (2012-2013)
- NBL DEBUT: 10/10/13
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 8/02/18
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 28
- NBL History: Illawarra 2014, 2017-18
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Rotnei Clarke was born in Claremore, Oklahoma (USA) and played college basketball for the University of Arkansas and Butler University before beginning his professional career in Australia with the Wollongong Hawks. He can play both point guard and shooting guard, and is known for his three-point shooting ability.
During high school, Clarke’s sharp shooting and chase for the Oklahoma high-school scoring record attracted large crowds. During his senior year, he led Verdigris High School to the school’s first state title. He captured the state scoring record, finishing with more than 3,700 career points. Clarke was highly recruited out of high school, attracting more than 50 college scholarship offers. He selected the Arkansas Razorbacks, joining the team for the 2008/09 season.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Rotnei Clarke made his NBL debut with the Wollongong Hawks at 24 years of age. He scored 20 points in his first game.
In his rookie season, he was named the NBL’s Most Valuable Player.
He went on to play in Belgium and Germany before returning to the Hawks in 2016.
Rotnei Clarke played three seasons the Wollongong Hawks. This included the Wollongong Hawks. He averaged 18.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3 assists in 86 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 28 | Illawarra | 12-16 (5) | 25 | 757.7 | 451 | 71 | 71 | 17 | 54 | 15 | 2 | 50 | 38 | 149 | 354 | 42% | 59 | 174 | 34% | 94 | 101 | 93% | 56% | 50% | 29 |
| 2016-17 | 27 | Illawarra | 15-13 (4) | 31 | 834.4 | 532 | 79 | 86 | 21 | 58 | 29 | 1 | 43 | 43 | 189 | 403 | 47% | 78 | 202 | 39% | 76 | 85 | 89% | 60% | 57% | 30 |
| 2013-14 | 24 | Wollongong | 13-15 (4) | 30 | 1,077.0 | 633 | 59 | 102 | 9 | 50 | 15 | 0 | 72 | 38 | 222 | 487 | 46% | 95 | 236 | 40% | 94 | 116 | 81% | 58% | 55% | Totals | 86 | 2669 | 1616 | 209 | 259 | 47 | 162 | 59 | 3 | 165 | 119 | 560 | 1244 | 45.0% | 232 | 612 | 37.9% | 264 | 302 | 87.4% | 59% | 54% | 39 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 28 | Illawarra | 12-16 (5) | 25 | 30.3 | 18.0 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 6.0 | 14.2 | 42% | 2.4 | 7.0 | 34% | 3.8 | 4.0 | 93% | 56% | 50% | 29 |
| 2016-17 | 27 | Illawarra | 15-13 (4) | 31 | 26.9 | 17.2 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 6.1 | 13.0 | 47% | 2.5 | 6.5 | 39% | 2.5 | 2.7 | 89% | 60% | 57% | 30 |
| 2013-14 | 24 | Wollongong | 13-15 (4) | 30 | 35.9 | 21.1 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 7.4 | 16.2 | 46% | 3.2 | 7.9 | 40% | 3.1 | 3.9 | 81% | 58% | 55% | Total | 86 | 31.0 | 18.8 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 6.5 | 14.5 | 45.0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 37.9% | 2.7 | 7.1 | 87.4% | 59% | 54% | 39 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 39 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
|---|
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Belgium - Okapi Aalstar (2014–2015) | Germany - Telekom Baskets Bonn (2015–2016) | Italy - Victoria Libertas Pesaro (2017), Victoria Libertas Pesaro (2018), Pallacanestro Trapani (2018–2019), Pallacanestro Mantovana (2019–2020), Cestistica San Severo (2021), Givova Scafati (2021–2022), UEB Gesteco Cividale (2022–2023) | Poland - Anwil Włocławek (2020–2021)
Clarke joined Okapi Aalstar for the 2014–15 Belgian Scooore League season, averaging 17.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 32 league games.
Clarke also played six EuroChallenge games for Okapi Aalstar in 2015, averaging 15.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals.
Rotnei Clarke joined Telekom Baskets Bonn for the 2015–16 German Bundesliga season, averaging 11.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists across 33 league games.
Clarke also played 10 EuroCup games for Telekom Baskets Bonn in 2015–16, averaging 11.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Rotnei Clarke joined Victoria Libertas Pesaro for the 2016–17 Italian Lega Basket Serie A season, averaging 19.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists across eight games.
Clarke returned to Victoria Libertas Pesaro for the 2017–18 Italian Lega Basket Serie A season, averaging 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists across 11 games.
Rotnei Clarke joined Pallacanestro Trapani for the 2018–19 Italian Serie A2 season, averaging 19.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists across 33 games.
Rotnei Clarke joined Pallacanestro Mantovana for the 2019–20 Italian Serie A2 season, averaging 19.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists across 25 games.
Rotnei Clarke joined Anwil Włocławek for the 2020–21 Polish Basketball League season, averaging 10.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists across 18 league games.
Clarke also played two FIBA Europe Cup games for Anwil Włocławek in 2021, averaging 4.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
Rotnei Clarke joined Cestistica San Severo for the 2020–21 Italian Serie A2 season, averaging 19.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists across 17 games.
Rotnei Clarke joined Givova Scafati for the 2021–22 Italian Serie A2 season, averaging 12.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists across 42 games.
Rotnei Clarke joined UEB Gesteco Cividale for the 2022–23 Italian Serie A2 season, averaging 8.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists across eight games.
COLLEGE
Rotnei Clarke played Division I basketball at Arkansas (2008–2011) and Butler (2012–2013), starting 124 collegiate games across the two programs and then starting all 33 appearances in his lone season on the floor for the Bulldogs after sitting out 2011–12 due to transfer rules.
At Arkansas, Clarke produced immediately as a freshman in 2008–09, averaging 12.2 points per game while hitting 83 three-pointers and converting 93.5 percent at the free-throw line, before taking a major leap as a sophomore in 2009–10 when he averaged 15.1 points per game and drilled 100 threes while ranking among the national leaders in both three-point percentage (42.7) and threes made per game (3.2).
The defining moment of that sophomore season came in the 2009–10 opener against Alcorn State on 11/13/09, when Clarke set the Arkansas single-game scoring record with 51 points and also set the school record (and an SEC record) by making 13 three-pointers in the one game, a mark that remains listed atop the program’s single-game three-point leaderboard.
Clarke stayed in the Razorbacks’ starting five as a junior in 2010–11, averaging 15.2 points per game while shooting 44 percent from three and 86 percent at the line, and that season he was recognised with second-team All-SEC honours.
After transferring to Butler, Clarke’s 2012–13 season became a high-volume perimeter year where he led the Bulldogs in scoring (16.9 points per game), three-pointers (115), free-throw shooting (.886) and minutes (33.3), finishing third on Butler’s single-season list for made threes, while earning first-team Atlantic 10 All-Conference, Atlantic 10 Player of the Week (Nov. 19–25) and selection to the 10-player USBWA All-District V team.
Butler’s run through the 2012 Maui Invitational was central to Clarke’s season narrative, highlighted by his game-winning buzzer-beating three to beat Marquette 72–71, a performance that helped land him on the Maui All-Tournament Team, and he later added 27 points against Illinois in the tournament championship game.
In Atlantic 10 play, Clarke’s bigger single-game lines included 28 points and four assists against Saint Joseph’s, a 24-point return game against Temple that also included a career-high nine assists, and a 21-point outing against Dayton in the A-10 Tournament, where he was also named to the Atlantic 10 Tournament All-Tournament Team.
Clarke’s final collegiate games came in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, where he scored 17 points against Bucknell before finishing with 24 points against Marquette in the season finale, closing his Butler career having also been placed on major national watch lists during the season (including the Naismith Early Season Watch List and the Bob Cousy Award watch list).
AWARDS
- 1x time NBL 6th Man (2017)
- 1x All-NBL First Team
Related
HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PLAYER?
Whilst we try to source as much information as we can for every player who has ever played in the NBL some information on a player profile may be missing. If you have additional information on a player you'd like us to add to a profile, please send it to us using the enquiry form below.
Submissions are then sent to info@aussiehoopla.com