Rotnei Clarke injury: Butler G won't play against Richmond or Gonzaga

Butler Bulldogs guard Rotnei Clarke has been ruled out of this week's games against Richmond and Gonzaga after suffering a neck injury on Saturday, the school announced n Monday.

Clarke, who leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 16.3 points per game, took a hard foul on a fast break that caused him to crash into the basket support head-first. He remained on the floor for several minutes and was eventually wheeled off the court in a stretcher. A subsequent MRI revealed he had suffered a severe neck sprain.

He is expected to make a full recovery, but the school still hasn't medically cleared Clarke to participate in full practice. The Bulldogs host Richmond on Wednesday and then play against No. 8 Gonzaga in a nationally televised contest on Saturday.

Understandably, Clarke wanted to be good to go as quickly as possible. Saturday's game marks the first time that ESPN's "College GameDay" show comes to Hinkle Fieldhouse, but Clarke's father told ESPN it was out of the question his son would play in the big game.

"If they're thinking about not letting him play Saturday," Conley Clarke said, "they're going to have to take him to another county."

Butler head athletic trainer Ryan Gallow did not give an immediate timetable for Clarke's return, saying in the release that Clarke is making progress and the team will continue to evaluate him.