Arkansas’ Fland has surgery; season likely over, sources say

Arkansas guard Boogie Fland underwent surgery on his injured right thumb Wednesday in New York City, the school announced.

The Razorbacks said there was no timetable for a return, although sources indicated to ESPN that Fland was expected to sit out the rest of the season.

Fland, one of the best freshman players in the country, had already been ruled out of Wednesday’s game against Georgia, and coach John Calipari hinted after the Razorbacks’ loss to Missouri over the weekend that Fland could miss time.

“His hand is pretty bad. Don’t know what we’ll do going forward,” Calipari said then. “But we’ve got to make sure we get that thing right.”

Fland sustained the injury against Florida on Jan. 11 but started the past two games against LSU and Missouri. He struggled in the latter, finishing with a season-low four points on 2-for-13 shooting from the field.

It’s the latest setback for an Arkansas team that is winless in the SEC and mired in a five-game losing streak.

Fland has been one of the few consistent bright spots for the Razorbacks, averaging 15.1 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 36.5% from 3-point range. He was a catalyst in the team’s biggest win of the season, posting 20 points and seven assists to beat Michigan at Madison Square Garden in December.

He is No. 32 in ESPN’s NBA draft rankings.

Without Fland, Calipari will lean more on D.J. Wagner and Johnell Davis as playmakers.