Boogie Fland returns, plays critical role in Arkansas basketball's upset of Kansas

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — No one knew what to expect from Boogie Fland. After missing 15 games with an injury to his right thumb, Fland returned for Arkansas basketball against Kansas on Thursday night in the first round of the men's NCAA Tournament.

The numbers might not jump off the page, but Fland exceeded all hopes with an impactful performance. He played 24 minutes and was a plus-6 on the floor in the No. 10 Razorbacks' (21-13) 79-72 victory over the No. 7 Jayhawks.

And most surprising, Fland was on the floor in crunch time. John Calipari subbed Fland in with 5:43 on the clock, and the freshman didn't exit the game, finishing the night with six points, three assists and one rebound.

"Coach (Calipari) trusts me, 100%," Fland said. "To come back first game and have that trust in me, it was great, and I had that trust in myself. My teammates did also, to make the plays down the stretch."

Fland's best play of the night came with Arkansas on the ropes. The Hogs trailed 67-64 with 3:01 remaining when Fland jumped a pass from Hunter Dickinson and darted toward the basket for a layup. It was his first basket of the second half and started a 15-5 run that pushed the Razorbacks into the second round of the bracket.

Fland had a slight wrap on his injured thumb. He admitted after the game there was rust, and Fland finished 2 for 7 from the field and 0 for 4 on 3-pointers. Still, he was poised in the biggest game of his collegiate career, and Calipari believes he will improve with more minutes as long as Arkansas stays alive.

"I really believe in him," Calipari said. "The last thing that's going to come is the shooting. He's running and he hasn't done that in a while. When you watched him shoot yesterday, making 75% of his shots, yeah, go run seven times and now make a shot. It's different for him, but he was two out of three getting to the rim."

Fland rejoined the team for full practice after the SEC Tournament. He had four days to prepare for the bright lights of March Madness, and Arkansas might not have beaten Kansas without his game-altering steal.

With another strong performance from Fland against St. John's on Saturday (1:40 p.m., CBS), Arkansas could reach its fourth Sweet 16 in the past five seasons. Playing into the second weekend might also allow for another meaningful return from Hogs' forward Adou Thiero.

Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@gannett.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Boogie Fland returns, helps Arkansas basketball upset Kansas in first round

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