INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Butler shooting guard Rotnei Clarke has returned to practice and could play Saturday against Temple.
The ninth-ranked Bulldogs have been without their leading scorer since he sustained a severely sprained neck after crashing head-first into a padded basket support Jan. 12 at Dayton. Clarke is fifth in the Atlantic 10 in scoring (16.3 points).
He left the Dayton game midway through the first half, but Butler (16-3, 3-1) went on to win 79-73. The Bulldogs then defeated Richmond and No. 8 Gonzaga last week at home without Clarke before losing 54-53 Wednesday night at La Salle as Clarke missed his third straight game.
Team trainer Ryan Galloy says Clarke has no lingering symptoms, has been cleared for full contact and will be reevaluated Friday before making a decision about Saturday.
