The Arkansas Razorbacks (17-12, 6-10 SEC) will be without their best player for the third game in a row, as forward Adou Thiero was listed as "out" in Monday's SEC Availability Report.
According to an official release, Thiero suffered a hyperextension to his left knee in the second half against Missouri on Feb. 22. The release also stated that surgery isn't expected and that there is no timetable for Thiero's return. He missed the following two games against Texas and South Carolina.
Arkansas fared well in Thiero's absence against Texas, which ended in an 86-81 overtime win. Five of the Hogs' seven players who saw the floor scored in double figures and Trevon Brazile, who got the start in place of the injured Thiero, had one of his best games of the season with 12 points and eight rebounds.
That momentum didn't carry over to the Hogs' next game, though. Arkansas flopped against South Carolina on Saturday, as it trailed by 35 points before it cut the deficit to 19 at game's end. Arkansas shot a paltry 12.5% from the field and only made one of its first 17 shots in the first half, which allowed the Gamecocks to jump out to a 16-2 lead that they never looked back from.
"We needed to have more," Arkansas head coach John Calipari said after the South Carolina loss. "You don’t plan on what happened, but we needed more guys. But, you know, when we had the guys, we played better as we got shorter. Less guys. But now, I’m going to say it again, it’s not only being injured, you can’t have three or four of your seven play poorly and you expect to win."
Calipari did not provide an update on Thiero's condition after the game.
For the season, Thiero is the Razorbacks' leading scorer and rebounder, as he averages 15.6 points and 6.0 boards per game. The only other game Thiero has missed this season came against Central Arkansas on Dec. 14, one Arkansas claimed victory in, 82-57.
The Hogs are also without freshman point guard Boogie Fland, who underwent thumb surgery in January and hasn't played since Jan. 18. He is also listed as "out" in the SEC Availability Report.
The Razorbacks and Commodores will tip off Tuesday at 9 p.m. CT at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will air on the SEC Network.
