Photo Credit: Craven Whitlow
Smash That “Follow” Button
Arkansas found itself in a precarious situation Wednesday night.
With two players already out because of injury, foul trouble forced the No. 20 Razorbacks to play a pair of reserves as they furiously tried to pull out a thrilling road win at No. 25 Alabama.
They came up just short in a 117-115 double overtime heartbreaker, but had Darius Acuff Jr.’s floater or Malique Ewin’s follow dunk fallen at the buzzer, a third overtime period could have gotten even more “interesting” for Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari.
Jaden Karuletwa and Elmir Dzafic — essentially walk-ons who were never expected to play meaningful minutes — were already on the floor and Ewin was playing with three fouls. The way the whistle was blowing down the stretch, it’s entirely possible that 5-foot-10 Ayden Kelley or 5-foot-9 Amere Brown could have been thrust into action.
The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, used 10 total guys despite also dealing with a recent exodus of active players mostly due to injuries. Of course, one of those absentees, Charles Bediako, never should have been allowed on the team in the first place.
Last year, the Razorbacks dealing with one injury after another raised the question of whether or not Calipari should adjust his strategy of signing only eight or nine key rotation players.
Expect the same questioning to emerge this year if Arkansas struggles at home on Saturday vs Mizzou.
For sure, a tight rotation can be a good thing when everyone is healthy. As the Hall of Fame coach has pointed out several times, some of his best UMass teams in the 1990s relied almost exclusively on five players. It’s easy to keep your guys happy when everyone is playing 35-40 minutes a night.
When players go down, though, things can unravel quickly.
Last season was a perfect example. Offseason injuries to Jonas Aidoo and Johnell Davis significantly limited the Razorbacks in preseason practice settings and that carried into the regular season. Then, during SEC play, arguably their best two players in Boogie Fland and Adou Thiero went down.
Both of them eventually returned to the court during the NCAA Tournament, but were a shell of their previous selves. That was especially true for the explosive Thiero, whose hyperextended knee limited him to only 5 minutes in the Sweet 16 loss to Texas Tech. If he was healthy, he could have been the difference in the late collapse.
Coincidentally, that game also served as the breakout moment for Karter Knox.
Karter Knox grew up before everyone’s eyes in March Madness this year. Even in the loss to Texas Tech he dropped 20 points and 6 rebounds on 6-8 shooting.
— Michael Main (@MichaelMain__) March 28, 2025
The freshman had already been trending in a positive direction, but exploded onto the national scene with 20 points on 4 of 4 shooting from beyond the arc against the Red Raiders. He explored the NBA Draft, but ultimately chose to return to school.
Karter Knox Injury Update
Unfortunately for him and the Razorbacks, Karter Knox’s sophomore campaign has not elevated him into a projected first-round pick like many expected.
The Tampa, Fla., native has certainly had his moments this year, including another monster game against Texas Tech in a critical non-conference win, but the small forward has also been very up and down.
Again, injuries have played a role.
Knox missed the season-opener against Southern because of a toe injury and then hurt his hip against Auburn in mid-January, playing only 7 minutes in that contest and coming off the bench the next two games.
Now, the same knee injury that’s caused him to miss three of the last four games is threatening the rest of the season.
The UA announced that Knox underwent successful surgery to repair his left meniscus. The operation was performed Wednesday by Dr. Walt Lowe in Houston. There is no timetable for his return, per the release.
Indeed, multiple sources indicated to Best of Arkansas Sports this week that Knox will miss extended time.
The sophomore missed two games in early February due to knee soreness. He returned against Auburn this past Saturday, but only played 6 minutes before reaggravating the knee on a non-contact play.
Injuries are an unfortunate reality in college basketball, especially this time of year as teams are gearing up for March Madness. Take the aforementioned Texas Tech squad, for instance. The Red Raiders will be without star JT Toppin for the rest of the year after he tore his ACL on Tuesday.
Whether or not Knox manages to return at some point, chances are he’ll be limited much like Fland and Thiero in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Regardless, the Razorbacks will need someone to step up and replace the production he was expected to provide this year if they’re going to make another postseason run.
Acuff has somehow stepped it up from what was already an all-SEC level of play, asserting himself as the SEC Player of the Year frontrunner in Wednesday’s loss to Alabama. Billy Richmond III, too, has elevated his game in recent weeks. While still playing with relentless energy, the sophomore has scored 45 points across the last two games.
Expect another player waiting in the wings, however, to take on a much heavier load in Knox’s absence.
Who Must Step Up for Arkansas Basketball
Enter Isaiah Sealy.
While far less heralded than his freshman counterparts, the Springdale native was a four-star, top-100 recruit in his own right and has shown glimpses of his potential in limited opportunities this year.
A hip injury suffered in practice earlier this week kept him out of Wednesday’s game, but he is not expected to miss as much time as Knox. A source told BoAS that Sealy is expected to dress out against Missouri on Saturday.
Getting him back in the fold would be critical for the Razorbacks as they prepare for a five-game stretch against opponents that are all at least 8-5 in SEC play and currently projected to make the NCAA Tournament. That includes a trip to Gainesville to play defending national champion and SEC leader Florida on Feb. 28.
On top of giving Arkansas an eighth man in its rotation, Sealy has shown he can be a very good defender — possibly even better than Knox — as long as he minimizes the typical freshman mistakes, like cheap fouls, missed rotations and help defense.
The 6-foot-7, 195-pound wing flexed his defensive acumen when the Razorbacks were without Knox and DJ Wagner against Mississippi State, where he blocked three shots in just 15 minutes.
Similar to Richmond, Sealy played point guard in high school and is a capable ball handler and transition threat, but he’s missed all seven of his 3-point attempts this season.
If he’s on the floor, opponents will sag off him and pack the paint, making life tougher for Acuff, Thomas, Wagner and Trevon Brazile.
That’s especially true if he’s sharing the court with Richmond. The sophomore’s shot has certainly improved this year, but he’s still missed his last 12 attempts from deep, with his last make coming on Jan. 7. His 25 points against Auburn came on a dozen dunks and layups. Even on Wednesday, Alabama was content with allowing him to shoot jumpers.
Despite the floor spacing taking a hit, Calipari could adjust what his team does on offense, tweaking the system to fit his current personnel.
What he can’t and won’t do, however, is bring in a G-League flameout like Nate Oats did at Alabama.
Thus, Sealy’s health and continued development will be crucial to Arkansas’ success the rest of the way.
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More coverage of Arkansas basketball from BoAS…
Hailing from Springdale, Andrew Hutchinson graduated from the University of Arkansas with a journalism degree in 2016. While he played baseball, basketball, football and ran track growing up, he quickly realized he lacked the size and athleticism to play anything beyond high school and shifted gears to stay involved with sports. Starting his career covering the Razorbacks with The Traveler while in college, Hutchinson has also worked for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Hawgs Illustrated, WholeHogSports, 247Sports, HawgBeat/Rivals and now BoAS, where he’s been the managing editor since the summer of 2022. In 2020, he was named the Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year by the NSMA. When he’s not writing, Hutchinson is spending time with his wife, Marley, and two daughters.
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