Arkansas lost more than another Southeastern Conference road game Wednesday night.
The Razorbacks (12-6, 2-4) may have lost their two four-year seniors coming home for Saturday's SEC game against the Ole Miss Rebels (10-8, 3-3) during their 88-73 loss in Gainesville, Fla., to the Florida Gators (13-5, 5-1).
Senior starting guard and North Little Rock High School graduate Anton Beard and senior alternating big man Trey Thompson, of Madison via Forrest City High School, both exited with first half injuries and did not return for active duty at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said during Wednesday night's post-game in O'Connell he was unsure if Beard or Thompson would be available for today's game, which will be broadcast at 2:30 p.m. on the SEC Network (Resort Channel 79). Coach Andy Kennedy's Rebels were the victors over Florida last Saturday in Oxford, Miss., before losing Tuesday night at Texas A&M (12-6, 1-5).
Beard, only 1 of 6 from the field with three assists and a rebound, played 13 minutes and was helped off the court with an ankle injury with 5:05 left before intermission. Thompson, who hit his only shot and grabbed a rebound, logged six minutes subbing for starting freshman center Daniel Gafford, of El Dorado, but was taken out before the second half because of a pulled hamstring.
"We lose Beard, Anderson said. "He's a warrior, and, in the first half half, he kind of got it going for us and then he went down. And Trey, he had some issues, too. He couldn't move with a hamstring. Se we had two veteran guys not out there."
Anderson said Beard "tried to wrap it (the ankle) up and go but just couldn't go" before the second half. Thompson's hamstring has bothered him recently and was apparently aggravated during Wednesday's game.
"It tightened up and he couldn't move," Anderson said.
It was just Tuesday night during a break from his Miked Up radio show at Sassy's Red House that Anderson said how much leadership Beard and Thompson, the only two of his six seniors to play their entire collegiate career as Razorbacks, had shown after a dreadful, 75-54 loss on Jan. 10 at Bud Walton Arena. The seniors helped the Hogs focus for their 65-63 victory over Missouri (13-5, 3-2) last Saturday at home.
""It had a big impact on the game," Anderson said of losing Beard and Thompson. "That's two guys that have been with us for four years. A couple bad breaks."
If Thompson still ails today, it behooves Gafford to stay out of foul trouble. Arkansas will look to 6-8 senior forward Dustin Thomas, normally a starter, fellow 6-8 senior forward Arlando Cook and 6-7 sophomore Adrio Bailey to log backup minutes usually taken by Thompson.
Freshman Darious Hall, a 6-6 swingman from Little Rock Mills, scored 10 points in his first and so far only Razorbacks start last Saturday against Missouri. He started the second half for Beard against Florida.
Hall finished with four points and two rebounds in 18 minutes against Florida, while sophomore reserve guard C.J. Jones hit 2 of 5 treys in Gainesville. Jones was previously 0-for-8 on SEC threes after hitting 26 of 60 treys in non-conference play.
"It's next man up," Anderson said. "Darious has got to be a warrior now. He's got to grow up and he's got to grow up quick. I thought C.J. came off the bench and gave us some really good minutes. I thought he would have a game where he would break out."
Sports on 01/20/2018