UA coach: Hurt Hog doing OK

TULSA — Trevon Brazile, the University of Arkansas ahead who suffered a season-ending knee damage, is doing effectively underneath the circumstances, in response to Coach Eric Musselman.

It was decided Wednesday when Brazile was examined that he tore the anterior cruciate in his proper knee throughout Tuesday evening’s sport towards North Carolina-Greensboro.

Musselman stated Brazile, a sophomore switch from Missouri, was in good spirits after they talked Wednesday and is getting robust assist from his household.

“When I called him, I was just a little worried that he might want to just kind of hang out and gather his thoughts, but he’s been great,” Musselman stated. “I talked to his sister. She’s thinking of trying to come out whenever the surgery date gets settled.”

Musselman stated Phil Brazile, Trevon’s father, got here to Fayetteville to be together with his son.

“His father was in our training room with TB when we went through some things,” Musselman stated. “So I think he’s doing really well considering everything … I do think he’s in the right frame of mind.

“We talked about higher physique stuff that he can do within the weight room and possibly some issues that he might do together with his wholesome leg and the way shortly he desires to get that began.

“So everything’s just moving forward. He’s hanging in there.”

Musselman stated Brazile and his father deliberate to fulfill with a physician on Friday to undergo timelines for his surgical procedure, which seemingly might be later this month after the swelling in his knee is diminished.

Brazile, listed in most NBA mock drafts as a first-round decide in some earlier than his damage, has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The focus proper now, Musselman stated, is on Brazile’s restoration plan after he undergoes surgical procedure.

Musselman stated the teaching workers desires Brazile to be across the staff as a lot as doable, however that he did not journey to Tulsa for at the moment’s Arkansas-Oklahoma sport as a result of driving on a bus for 2 hours would not have been good for his injured knee.

Moser and Arkansas

During Oklahoma Coach Porter Moser’s news convention with native media on Thursday, he was requested about interviewing for the emptiness at Arkansas after the 2001-02 season.

At the time, Moser had accomplished back-to-back 18-11 seasons in his first head teaching job on the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.

Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles employed Stan Heath, who led Kent State to a 30-6 report and the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in his first season with the Golden Flashes, to switch Nolan Richardson because the Razorbacks’ coach.

“I don’t even really think about it, because it was one day. It was 20 years ago,” Moser stated of his Arkansas interview. “I was happily the coach at Arkansas-Little Rock.

“I believe fondly of the state of Arkansas as a result of I had two of my youngsters there, and [UALR] was my first head teaching job. I actually loved the folks. I actually loved my keep.

“During that time, the legendary Frank Broyles did bring me in for an interview. I didn’t get the job and God had a plan.”

Moser, a local of Naperville, Ill., left UALR after three seasons and a 54-34 report to turn out to be the pinnacle coach at Illinois State, the place he was fired after a 51-67 report in 4 seasons.

After serving as an assistant at Saint Louis, Moser turned a head coach once more at Loyola-Chicago for the 2011-12 season. He led the Ramblers to the Final Four in 2018 and the Sweet 16 in 2021 to land the Oklahoma job.

Sadler with Sooners

Doc Sadler, a Greenwood native and Arkansas supervisor for Coach Eddie Sutton, joined Oklahoma’s workers on Nov. 17 when he was introduced as a particular advisor to Sooners Coach Porter Moser.

Sadler beforehand was a head coach on the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Texas-El Paso, Nebraska and Southern Mississippi.

Before going to Oklahoma, Sadler most not too long ago had returned to Nebraska as an assistant coach the earlier three seasons.

Sadler earned his bachelor’s diploma in bodily schooling from Arkansas in 1982.

More minutes for Graham?

Among the Razorbacks who might assist fill the void left by Trevon Brazile’s damage is Jalen Graham, a 6-9 senior switch from Arizona State.

Graham has performed solely 42 minutes in six video games, however he is averaging 5.2 factors and three.0 rebounds and has hit 14 of twenty-two pictures. He had 10 factors and 4 rebounds in 11 minutes towards Fordham, 8 factors in 6 minutes towards Louisville and 11 factors and 6 rebounds in 12 minutes towards San Jose State.

“Jalen’s obviously an offensive weapon because he can face up and beat people off the dribble,” Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman stated. “He’s got a pretty good 15- to 17-foot face-up game. He’s got a good push shot around the rim and a soft touch, much like [long-time NBA player] Antawn Jamison used to do, where he gets it out of his hands very quickly around the rim.

“And if his rebounds per minute (0.43) is sky excessive. So he is rebounded the ball, he is scored, and defensively, he can get off the bottom.”

Musselman said Graham was at practice Thursday about an hour and 40 minutes early to get in extra work.

“First follow again since our final sport, he was right here actually early,” Musselman said. “I can inform you that [it was] the earliest I’ve seen him right here. He’s excited to follow, I assume, if he was right here that early.”

Masked man

Oklahoma senior starting forward Jalen Hill is playing with a protective mask on his face after undergoing nasal surgery for an injury he sustained in the Sooners’ 70-66 loss at Villanova last Saturday.

Hill played with a mask Tuesday night when Oklahoma beat Missouri-Kansas City 75-53, then had surgery on Wednesday.

“It’s not supreme, however he obtained fitted for the masks, he is sporting it and he is able to go,” Sooners Coach Porter Moser said.

Hill is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Vs. SEC

Oklahoma is 10-1 in its last 11 games against SEC teams, including a 59-55 victory over Ole Miss in Kissimmee, Fla., earlier this season.

After taking on Arkansas, the Sooners play at Florida on Dec. 20 and host Alabama in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 28.

Last season, Oklahoma beat Florida at home and Arkansas in Tulsa, then lost at Auburn in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Oklahoma and Texas will move from the Big 12 to the SEC no later than the fall of 2025.

    Jalen Graham