It’s been a rough first season for Coach John Calipari at Arkansas, with the team in last place in the SEC with an 0-5 record. But no matter how down a team is in the SEC, there are still 10+ more Quad 1 games left to make a comeback.
However, the Razorbacks may have been dealt a fatal blow to their 2024-25 campaign, as Boogie Fland’s hand injury has become a season-ender.

Fland had been one of the country’s best freshmen in a season filled with them. He averaged 15.1 ppg and 5.7 apg through 18 games, shooting 39% from the field and 37% from deep. Fland had a 20-point game in a win over Michigan, along with a season-high 11 assists versus North Carolina A&T. To this point, he’s only one of four true freshmen averaging at least five assists a game.
Fland’s numbers and efficiency have dropped since the start of league play, but he is still one of the team’s best players, alongside leading scorer Adou Thiero. His absence leaves the Razorbacks to just eight rotation players, with six of them being forwards.

That leaves effectively just two guards going forward. DJ Wagner (10.1 ppg and 2.7 apg) is a two-year starter with Coach Cal and is capable of taking of even more of a role on offense. The key is Johnell Davis, a former Co-POY star at Florida Atlantic who has struggled at Arkansas, averaging 8.3 ppg on 41% FG, while recently coming off the bench.
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Jeff Goodman diagnoses what’s gone wrong at Arkansas, which remains winless in the SECBut there’s no other option for the team than to play him 35+ mpg going forward and give him as many shots as possible. Maybe the lack of pressure, knowing he will be on the court no matter what, can help Davis out. He’s had a trio of 15+ point games and now needs to be more consistent with his production to give Arkansas enough offense to be competitive.
Assuming Coach Cal doesn’t play either Karter Knox or Billy Richmond out of their natural wing position, two other options on the roster are D-II transfer Melo Sanchez or Casmir Chavis, a former four-star prospect who has played just one game in his freshman career. He’s also dealt with injuries to prevent him from being on the court, but the former Washington commit may have to get thrown into the fire just to give Wagner and Davis a breather.
The next two opponents for Arkansas are Georgia and Oklahoma at home this week, so the new-look rotation will at least start out in friendly territory. They may not be an NCAA Tournament threat without Fland going forward, but these matchups will indicate whether the Razorbacks can be competitive in SEC play or doomed to finish at the bottom.