The Arkansas Razorbacks defied early struggles to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, despite beginning SEC play with an 0-5 record. Hopes were high under new head coach John Calipari, who led the team to a strong 12-3 record in non-conference play.
One of the season’s unexpected developments was the return of freshman Boogie Fland. Initially sidelined with a thumb injury in late January, Fland was thought to be out for the year. However, his rehabilitation progressed faster than anticipated, and he is now set to make a surprise return in Arkansas’ tournament opener against Kansas.
“I started progressing and doing rehab. That’s when it started coming into my mind that I could potentially come back, so we made a decision to go for it,” Fland explained.
Fland’s return provides a major boost for a Razorbacks squad that has relied on a seven-man rotation. However, the team received a significant setback as leading scorer and rebounder Adou Thiero, who suffered an injury on February 22, will be unable to play against Kansas.
“John Calipari says that Adou Thiero will not play for Arkansas against Kansas tomorrow,” reported Pete Thamel.
Thiero’s absence is a major blow for Arkansas, as his toughness and versatility would have been crucial in the matchup against the Jayhawks. The Razorbacks will now have to find a way to contain Kansas star Hunter Dickinson without one of their top players.
With Thiero ruled out for Thursday’s game, Arkansas will hope to advance so he has a chance to return on Saturday.