Arkansas looks to stop the bleeding

FAYETTEVILLE — Florida’s big misfortune seems coinciding with Arkansas’ desperation to regain its slipping fortunes even if it’s not how the Razorbacks would wish to regain them.

Wishing injuries on your opponent isn’t within self-respecting game planners.

Florida’s Gators, 14-12 overall, 7-6 in the SEC and visiting Arkansas, 17-9, 6-7, in today’s 1 p.m. ESPN2 televised SEC game at Walton Arena, likely just lost its biggest and best player. Colin Castleton, the Gators’ 6-11, 250 center averaging a team-leading 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds with 78 blocked shots and the Gators’ No. 2 second in steals and assists, broke his right hand during Florida’s 79-64 victory over Ole Miss last Wednesday.

““Obviously we have a game on Saturday no matter what,” Florida Coach Todd Golden said. “So it’s next man up.”

Arkansas Razorbacks Coach Eric Musselman can empathize. His preseason projected best player, Nick Smith, the freshman guard still regarded a NBA first-round draft choice, has played but seven of Arkansas’ 26 games. He’s two games understandably returned rusty since December from his second extended knee injury layoff.

Meanwhile Musselman’s most versatile big man, 6-10 sophomore via Missouri transfer Trevon Brazile, misses the season upon requiring surgery post a Dec. 21 knee injury.

These Hogs aren’t where they want to be, or would be with a healthy Smith and Brazile, but certainly won quality games without them.

“If you look at injuries,,” Musselman said. “It allows opportunities for other guys to play.”

Jason Jitoboh, a 6-11, 300 Florida reserve, picked up against Ole Miss where Castleton left off.

“Florida played a really good last 15 minutes of the game against Ole Miss,” Musselman said. “I thought they adjusted really well. They still have a big guy inside in No. 33 [Jitoboh] — a big, strong player.” Golden concurred. “Incredible effort,” Golden said. “I didn’t know that he was going to be able to do that from playing just three or four minutes a game, but he looked great out there. I thought he did a wonderful job defensively. A great job of stepping up in that moment.”

Rather than concentrating on what Florida doesn’t have at today’s start, Musselman rivets the Razorbacks on what they haven’t finished.

Flying high beating Kentucky at the Wildcats’ Rupp Arena three games ago, the Razorbacks since crashed consecutively. Last Saturday unable at the last to complete a comeback, they lost, 70-64 to Mississippi State at Walton. They lost 62-56 Wednesday at Texas A&M outscored, 18-7 for the game’s final 8:01.

“This team has struggled unlike a group that I’ve had since I’ve been coaching college,” former NBA coach Musselman, into four years head coaching Arkansas after four years head coaching Nevada, said. “This group has struggled to finish games.”

Continuing their struggle to finish jeopardizes what earlier appeared an ironclad third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid following consecutive Elite Eights.

“Every game we have is hard,” Musselman said. “This team’s still got to grow in a lot of areas, and we only have five games to go.”

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe) Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said his team still has some growing to do with five games left in the regular season, including today’s matchup against Florida.