Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
DANIEL GAFFORD’S absence not a killer for Hogs.
Gafford’s absence not a killer
FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas basketball team rallied to win 73-71 at Texas A&M with its best player — Daniel Gafford — on the bench with four fouls.
“It shows that we’re more than just a one-man wrecking crew,” Razorbacks sophomore guard Jalen Harris said.
Gafford, a 6-11 sophomore, is projected as a firstround NBA Draft choice.
“Knowing that Dan is the problem he is [for opponents] — a potential lottery pick this year — and doing it without him shows how good we really can be,” Harris said. “We haven’t really reached our full potential. But I think if we keep playing the way we did at Texas A&M, we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”
When Gafford went to the bench with four fouls with 4:39 left and the Aggies ahead 55-53, forward Gabe Osabuohien came in and played the majority of the rest of the game with Harris, Mason Jones, Isaiah Joe and Adrio Bailey.
“That group was getting the job done,” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. “They were ready because they had all played meaningful minutes this season.”
Gafford, averaging 17.0 points and 9.3 rebounds, didn’t come back into the game until there were 57.7 seconds left.
“Coach A trusted us to make plays without Dan,” Bailey said. “We told Dan before the season started, ‘They’re going to try to double you, they’re going to try to get you in foul trouble.’ So we were always prepared for situations like that before they even happened.”
Osabuohien said it was a positive for the Razorbacks to prove they can win on the road if Gafford has to be out of the game during a key stretch.
“It brings up all of our confidence knowing that we can step up when Daniel’s not able to be in the game due to foul trouble,” Osabuohien said. “It was big for us.”