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Arkansas basketball received a boost this week with freshman point guard Boogie Fland becoming medically cleared to participate in basketball activities Saturday. Fland has missed 15 games with a right thumb injury, but he's returning just before the 10th-seeded Razorbacks (20-13) open the men's NCAA Tournament against No. 7 Kansas.
John Calipari spoke with the media Sunday night after the bracket was revealed and confirmed Fland was a full-participant in his team's practice earlier in the day. The coaching staff and players are excited about Fland's return, but they still don't know just how much the former five-star recruit will provide against the Jayhawks.
More: Can Arkansas basketball reach Sweet 16 in March Madness bracket? Our prediction
More: Arkansas basketball vs Kansas prediction: Our pick for 2025 NCAA Tournament first round
"If you asked me, ‘Will he play more than 15 minutes?’ I don’t know. Maybe less," Calipari said. "But I know he’s talented. For our team, come in and defend and rebound, make easy plays, fly up and down the court, make the plays and be who you are."
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Fland had successful surgery on Jan. 22 to repair an injury to his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) on his right thumb. He hasn't played since Jan. 18 after initially suffering the injury in a 71-63 loss to Florida on Jan. 11, but Fland played two more games before being shut down.
Fland's return is a surprise to the team. Calipari said the first time he learned there was a possibility the point guard could play in March Madness was Saturday when an Arkansas trainer said Fland was looking good in individual workouts.
D.J. Wagner replaced Fland in the starting lineup and has looked much more comfortable serving as the primary point guard. Wagner is averaging 11.1 points and 3.5 assists on the year. Arkansas also went 0-5 in the SEC with Fland and 8-5 without the point guard.
However, Calipari isn't concerned about Fland's return ruining any chemistry and more thrilled about adding another soldier. Arkansas has played with a seven-man rotation since Adou Thiero hyper-extended his knee on Feb. 22.
"I grabbed the team and said, ‘It’s not really changing anybody’s role or what’s going on, we just have an eighth man.' Instead of having seven, having foul trouble or having two or three guys not playing well, which is normal stuff, now you have a little bit of breathing room," Calipari said.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: What John Calipari said about Boogie Fland's returning role for Arkansas
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John Calipari spoke with the media Sunday night after the bracket was revealed and confirmed Fland was a full-participant in his team's practice earlier in the day. The coaching staff and players are excited about Fland's return, but they still don't know just how much the former five-star recruit will provide against the Jayhawks.
More: Can Arkansas basketball reach Sweet 16 in March Madness bracket? Our prediction
More: Arkansas basketball vs Kansas prediction: Our pick for 2025 NCAA Tournament first round
"If you asked me, ‘Will he play more than 15 minutes?’ I don’t know. Maybe less," Calipari said. "But I know he’s talented. For our team, come in and defend and rebound, make easy plays, fly up and down the court, make the plays and be who you are."
Buy Arkansas NCAA Tournament tickets
Fland had successful surgery on Jan. 22 to repair an injury to his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) on his right thumb. He hasn't played since Jan. 18 after initially suffering the injury in a 71-63 loss to Florida on Jan. 11, but Fland played two more games before being shut down.
Fland's return is a surprise to the team. Calipari said the first time he learned there was a possibility the point guard could play in March Madness was Saturday when an Arkansas trainer said Fland was looking good in individual workouts.
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D.J. Wagner replaced Fland in the starting lineup and has looked much more comfortable serving as the primary point guard. Wagner is averaging 11.1 points and 3.5 assists on the year. Arkansas also went 0-5 in the SEC with Fland and 8-5 without the point guard.
However, Calipari isn't concerned about Fland's return ruining any chemistry and more thrilled about adding another soldier. Arkansas has played with a seven-man rotation since Adou Thiero hyper-extended his knee on Feb. 22.
"I grabbed the team and said, ‘It’s not really changing anybody’s role or what’s going on, we just have an eighth man.' Instead of having seven, having foul trouble or having two or three guys not playing well, which is normal stuff, now you have a little bit of breathing room," Calipari said.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: What John Calipari said about Boogie Fland's returning role for Arkansas
Continue reading...
