By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Arkansas guard Rotnei Clarke could do without playing Georgia in the near future.
For the second time this season, Clarke struggled to score against the Bulldogs during Arkansas’ 77-64 loss on Thursday night. The sophomore — who was averaging 15.6 points a game — finished with four points and missed all four shots he attempted.
He was 1-for-5 with two points in the first meeting.
The guard could never shake free from Georgia’s Ricky McPhee, who guarded Clarke throughout Thursday’s game. When Clarke did get an open look — like the 3-pointer he attempted on a fast break — he couldn’t put the ball in the basket.
Clarke totaled six points on 1 of 9 shooting against the Bulldogs. He was 0-for-4 from long range.
The guard’s struggles also kept him from setting the school’s single-season record for 3-pointers made in a game. Clarke, who made 100 3-pointers this season, needed two long-range baskets to tie former Razorback Scotty Thurman (102 in 1994-95) for the school mark.
Powell Honored Again
Arkansas forward Marshawn Powell was back in the news on Thursday. This time, it wasn’t because of something he said about leadership.
Powell earned his second Southeastern Conference All-Freshman honor on Thursday, landing on the The Sporting News’ six-man team. Powell also was named to the league coaches’ eight-man team on Tuesday.
Powell entered Arkansas’ first-round game against Georgia in the SEC tournament on Thursday averaging 15.1 points and 6.7 rebounds. Those numbers rank third and second among SEC freshmen, respectively.
He is the only Arkansas player to start every game this season and has garnered praise Pelphrey.
“I think Marshawn has proven himself as a player,” Pelphrey said Wednesday. “He has also proven himself in terms of how hard he’s worked.”
It’s not unusual for Arkansas freshmen to land on SEC teams. Powell was the 13th Arkansas player named to the league’s all-freshman team since 1993.
Cox Rewarded
Arkansas had one new face in its starting lineup Thursday night: Senior guard Stephen Cox.
Cox, a former walk-on, earned the first start of his career against the Bulldogs by replacing junior Marcus Britt in Arkansas’ lineup. But Cox didn’t stay on the floor long. He was replaced by Jemal Farmer less than a minute later and didn’t play again.
“I always call him the golfer, but I need to rephrase that,” Pelphrey said. “I need to call him a basketball player. He’s played more basketball at the University of Arkansas than he has golf.”
Legendary Counce
Former Razorback Jim Counce was recognized as an SEC Men’s Basketball Legend during halftime of Arkansas’ first-round game against Georgia.
Counce played at Arkansas from 1975-78 and started his final two seasons on campus. Counce was a senior on the 1977-78 Arkansas team, which went 32-4 and reached the NCAA Final Four under Eddie Sutton.
Toughing It Out
Mike Nail’s final game as Arkansas’ play-by-play broadcaster didn’t go as planned Thursday. Nail, who wrapped up a 29-year career with Arkansas’ season-ending loss to Georgia, called his final game with the Razorbacks battling flu-like symptoms.
Nail said he started feeling sick Wednesday and it carried over to Thursday. But the illness couldn’t keep Nail — who was honored at halftime of his final game in Bud Walton Arena last week — off the air.
Carolina Collapse
Arkansas knows what South Carolina felt like during the SEC Tournament’s first game Thursday. The Gamecocks led Alabama by 11 points at the half and built as much as an 18-point lead before crumbling down the stretch en route to a 68-63 loss.
South Carolina’s season likely ended at 15-16. It included six losses in seven games. It also signaled the end of point guard Devan Downey’s career.
“It’s just disappointing to lose, period,” Downey said. “The manner doesn’t matter. I thought we had the game pretty much in hand, but credit Alabama, who just kept playing and kept fighting.”
Say What?
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl turned in the quote of the day when he tried to describe his team’s sluggish performance in the 59-49 win against LSU.
“The SEC Tournament is supposed to be a celebration of our basketball,” Pearl said. “Basketball takes place all season long. You know, (Thursday), the way we played and how effective LSU was, there wasn’t a great celebration.”
But the Volunteers did survive the rugged game and advanced to play Ole Miss this afternoon.
