Eric Musselman reveals Anthony Black's status as NCAA Tournament nears

Anthony Black injured his ankle in Arkansas‘ SEC Tournament loss to Texas A&M on Friday. He landed awkwardly on a player’s foot after attempting to secure a rebound, and has been seen in a walking boot ever since.

Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman updated the status of Black heading into Thursday’s 8 vs. 9-seed matchup against Illinois.

“He’s in a boot and he’ll get rehab today,” Musselman said after learning of Arkansas’ seeding. “That will be between him and the trainer.”

CLICK HERE to WIN March Madness Prizes in On3’s Bracket Challenge

Whether or not Black will be ready for Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament opener, Musselman had no update either. “I hope so,” he told one reporter after asking if Black would be ready for opening tip on Thursday. When Black spoke to the media, however, he made it clear that he was playing against the Illini.

“I’m pretty tough through injuries,” Black said. “I’ll be ready. … I feel 100% good that I can tough it out. I’m used to playing through stuff.”

Despite suffering the injury, Black played 35 minutes against the Aggies. He didn’t score at his typical pace, finishing with 9 points, but was a menace on defense, notching two steals and blocking four shots. He had been averaging 15.3 points per game since Feb. 28 before the injury slowed him down.

Having the former five-star recruit back in time for the Hogs’ first-round matchup will be crucial to Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament efforts. Illinois might be a tricky team to overcome, and even if they do — the Razorbacks have a tough road in front of them.

The winner more than likely matches up against No. 1 seed Kansas in the second round. That’s a tall task for anyone, but Arkansas is squarely focused on its matchup with the Illini.

“Everybody that you would potentially play in the NCAA Tournament is a really good team,” Musselman said. “That’s why they’re in this tournament. Certainly Illinois is really well coached. … Anybody from the Big Ten that qualifies for the NCAA Tournament is a really good team.”

Illinois is 5-0 all-time against Arkansas, but the two programs haven’t matched-up against one another since 2004. Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET live on TBS.