Jeff Borzello
Arkansas guard Boogie Fland, who has been out since January with a hand injury, is expected to practice Sunday and will be available for the NCAA tournament barring a setback, the school announced on Saturday.
Fland suffered the injury against Florida on Jan. 11, but started the next two games and struggled before shutting it down. He has missed the past 15 games with the injury after establishing himself as one of the best freshmen guards in the country during the first half of the season.
Fland averaged 15.1 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game during the first 18 games of the season, shooting 36.5% from 3-point range. He was a catalyst in the team’s biggest nonconference win of the season, posting 20 points and seven assists in a victory over Michigan at Madison Square Garden in December.
At the time of Fland’s injury, Arkansas was 0-5 in the SEC and on a five-game losing streak. The Razorbacks have since turned their season around, going 9-4 without Fland and looking safely in the NCAA tournament entering Selection Sunday.
Calipari’s lineup has gone through multiple variations over the past couple of months, but D.J. Wagner and Johnell Davis have shouldered most of the playmaking responsibilities without Fland. Freshman Karter Knox has also seen an increased role since Fland went down.
Arkansas’ leading scorer, Adou Thiero, has missed the past six games with an injury.
