Clarke adds AP honor

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas junior shooting guard Rotnei Clarke added another honor to his growing list of accolades on Monday afternoon when he was named an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-SEC player.

The award is the second All-SEC honor bestowed on Clarke this season who led the Razorbacks with 15.1 points per game, 88 three-point field goals and an 85 percent free throw percentage. Clarke was also named a second-team All-SEC player by the league coaches just two weeks ago.

Along with Clarke’s postseason awards, he was named the SEC Player of the Week two times this year to become just the sixth Arkansas player to earn multiple player of the week honors in the same season and just the second to earn three SEC Player of the Week Awards (Jannero Pargo) in a career. Clarke scored at alarming rates this year as he posted the SEC’s best single-game performance at 36 points at No. 19 Vanderbilt in a Razorback victory. It was the second season in a row that he has finished the year with the league’s top scoring game. He also tallied 20 or more points 10 times, the most since Sonny Weems had 10 during the 2008-09 season.

This season Clarke began to climb Arkansas’ all-time scoring list after becoming the 34th member of the 1,000-point club. He ended the year with 1,306 points which ranks 21st all-time on the Arkansas charts and could end his career among the top 10 scorers in Razorback history with another solid season. The Razorbacks’ sharpshooter was the fastest Arkansas player to 200 three-point baskets in a career after he accomplished the task in 66 games and he ended the 2010-11 season No. 2 on Arkansas’ all-time list with 274 career three pointers, 92 behind the Razorbacks’ career leader Pat Bradley (1996-99).

Clarke also earned recognition during the preseason as Sporting News named him its Best Shooter in the SEC and the league coaches dubbed him a second-team all-conference selection.