Jayhawks offer Clarke
Kansas ‘a dream school,’ prep guard says
By Gary Bedore (Contact)
Posted Friday, April 13, 2007
Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self, who is in need of a monster recruiting class in 2008, on Thursday made a scholarship offer to Rotnei Clarke, a 5-foot-11 junior guard from Verdigris High School in Claremore, Okla.
The 170-pound Clarke, who averaged 37.6 points and 9.3 rebounds a game last season — and exploded for an all-time record 60 points against Vian in the state tournament — received a scholarship offer from Southern Cal on Wednesday.
He’s also considering Oklahoma, Arkansas, Arizona State, Tulsa, Marquette and others.
“It’s true. It happened today. It’s a privilege to have an offer from Kansas. It’s a dream school,” Clarke told Rivals.com.
Clarke has scored 2,534 points in three seasons. He’s in reach of Oklahoma state career scoring leader Ty Harman of Maud, who posted 3,619 points from 1985 to ’89.
“I’m not going to let it go to my head. I want to set a good example for younger kids. I look at this as a blessing from God,” Clarke told the Tulsa World after being named the paper’s All-Metro player of the year. He said his goal is to finish the spring and summer AAU season with Team Texas and make a college choice some time after that.
Clarke, who is ranked 107th nationally, is an AAU teammate and good friend of No. 13-rated Willie Warren, a 6-4, 195-pound junior guard from North Crowley High in suburban Fort Worth, Texas.
This kid looks like a Jeff Boschee clone....