Arkansas Razorbacks Face Georgia Bulldogs Without Star Guard Boogie Fland

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks (11-7, 0-5 SEC) return to Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday night, still seeking their first SEC victory as they host the Georgia Bulldogs (14-4, 2-3 SEC). The Razorbacks will be without star freshman guard Boogie Fland, who is listed as out due to a hand injury.

Fland sustained the injury during Arkansas’ loss to Florida last week and played through pain in the team’s 83-65 defeat to South Carolina on Saturday. Head coach John Calipari expressed concern about Fland’s condition, stating, “Boogie’s hand, he fell in the game at our place against Florida… His hand is pretty bad. Don’t know what we’ll do going forward, but we’ve got to make sure that we get that thing right.”

During his radio show Monday night, Calipari described Fland as “doubtful at best” for Wednesday’s game. Assistant coach Kenny Coleman echoed this sentiment on Tuesday, confirming that the Razorbacks will rely on a committee of guards to fill the void left by Fland’s absence.

“Obviously, it’s natural for DJ to move into that role,” Coleman said, referring to guard DJ Wagner. “He’s done it his whole life. He’s done it in his career. So it’s an easy fix for him just moving to that role. But committee-wise, Johnell [Davis] will have to take some of that responsibility, and Billy Richmond, who has played that position some in high school. It’s different obviously on this level. But he has played the position, so we’re going to ask for him to take some of that.”

Georgia enters the game following a narrow 70-68 loss to No. 1-ranked Tennessee on Saturday. The Bulldogs have yet to face an unranked SEC opponent this season, making Wednesday’s matchup a pivotal one for both teams.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CST at Bud Walton Arena, with the game broadcast on SEC Network. The SEC now requires teams to release player availability reports before league games, with the initial report due at 7 p.m. CST the night before each game. Players are categorized as Available, Probable, Questionable, Doubtful, or Out. A Game Day Update is issued two hours before tip-off, listing players as Available, Game Time Decision, or Out.

Arkansas’ initial update lists Fland as Out, while Georgia reports all players available for the game.