FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas beat No. 20 Michigan at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday, but the upset came with a price.
Forward Marvell Waithe suffered a strained left calf muscle in the opening minutes of the game and didn’t return. Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said Monday it is unlikely Waithe will play on Wednesday against Auburn and his teammates indicated the senior could be for around three weeks.
Without Waithe, Arkansas (14-5, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) will have only eight scholarship players available for the game against Tigers (12-7, 2-3 SEC).
“We’ve got to continue to find some other guys to step up,” Anderson said. “Marvell was giving us some great minutes off the bench. He’s a guy that is very versatile and athletic, can block shots and rebound.
“That means there are going to be some guys get more minutes. It will be the forwards that are already playing getting more minutes, or sometimes we’re going to have to play small as we did against Michigan.”
VIDEO: Mike Anderson – Auburn Preview
Waithe, who is averaging 6.3 points per game, earned his first career start against the Wolverines, but it was short-lived. He was injured 1 minute, 41 seconds into the game.
“My mom took off work so she could watch the game,” Waithe said. “She turned it on a couple of minutes late and thought I had already been benched.
“It’s just a strain. I’ll be back.”
The news was better on freshman guard BJ Young, who injured his hand and back on a flagrant foul by Wolverines guard Zack Novak in the second half. Young hit the floor hard on the foul and even had to leave the game temporarily while being check by team doctors.
He returned to the game shortly after and led the Razorbacks with 15 points.
“My hand is a little swollen,” said Young, who is leading all SEC freshmen with 14.7 points per game. “My back took more of the pain afterward, but it should be all right.”
You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.
That is kinda funny about Waithe’s Mom. I don’t think she really thought he had benched though, but I like humor and now I know Marvell Waithe has a big sense of humor to be so disappointed with that injury. I am hoping he can make the Bama game even if it only 10 quality minutes?
Most tend to say it is OK to call Novak’s foul flagrant and that the call was right, but I promise you it was anything but different. He should have been ejected a la Wade. It was a willful hard hit by a kid with an attitude. Had BJ Young been seriously injured, most would be crying foul and NCAA or conference would have stepped in to suspend him by now. Novak is only lucky Young is OK; but his actions were reprehensible just the same.
On the bright side, I am ready to play the win one at a time game all the way up to when the polls put this team in the Top 25. They are not anymore inconsistent than other teams ranked top 15 through 25. Michigan stayed ranked #19 or rose up to #19 after loss to Hogs depending on the poll!!!
Zack Novak needs to work on his coordination or something.
one of these days Coach Anderson is going to have this Basketball team kicking alot of Tails,just wait untill he brings in his first Recruting class to go with,Pels,s fab four,they will Roll.
Novak is a dirty player and is known as such. He should have been ejected as this is about his 3rd time injuring an opposing player since he has been playing in Ann Arbor.
Had a Hog player committed such an act, they would have played it 152 times on espin, called Herbstriet so he could villainize Arkansas and it’s coaches, players and Razorback fanbase.
Newspapers all over the country would call for the NCAA death penalty on the Razorback basketball(and tennis & golf teams) team, and to shut down dining facilities on campus and try to starve everyone.
Arkansas is hated by almost everyone outside the state, no matter what we do, it’s ridiculous and old.
Damn, Portie, you OK? I agree with you, that it should have been an ejection. The guys on PTI said the same. Wilbon went as far as to say he thought Novak should be suspended. Kornheiser said it was poetic justice that we won.
portie,you got that right.
Hi Ralot,,yes I’m fine sir. I was just jokin around and bein funny like I sommetimes do.
Just like I used to on Richard’s board over the years but I got tired of all the namecalling insults and negativity there so I left. That’s too bad becuz I like Richard he’s a good guy.
And there are some good posters there too but just alot of arguing and whatnot and that got tiresome.
portie, come back to Richard’s board! Oh!, was I one of the ones’ that you were talking about.
Get well Marvell, we need that senior leadership !
Heya Randy!
No man, you were not one of those I was talking about, you were/are one of my favorite posters over there.
GO HOGS GO!