John Calipari blunt about Arkansas' depth amid injuries: 'I only need five'

John Calipari will be down arguably his best player when Arkansas tips off the NCAA Tournament against Kansas on Thursday. Razorbacks leading scorer Adou Thiero is out that game after having not seen the court since Feb. 22 due to a knee injury.

There is some good news, however, as Arkansas is set to return freshman point guard Boogie Fland, who hasn’t played since Jan. 18 due to a right thumb injury. But with Fland having missed so much time, there is the question of how effective he can be.

Calipari joined The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, where he was asked about his depth after playing just seven players in the SEC Tournament. The coach certainly didn’t seem worried with his response.

“Don’t tell anybody, but I only need five. That’s all,” he said. “So what’ll happen is, if a couple of guys aren’t playing well, they’ll just play less.”

It’s still unclear exactly how much Fland will play against the Jayhawks. Calipari said on Selection Sunday that he isn’t even sure the point guard will reach the 15-minute mark. But considering he offered 15.1 points and 5.7 assists per game when fully healthy this season, having him back for any amount of time will be a big boost.

Arkansas was on the bubble in the final months of the regular season but overcame the injuries to win four of its final five games prior to the SEC Tournament. The return of Fland should improve its chances of making a deep run as it now has an extra player to add to the rotation.

Calipari has plenty of NCAA Tournament experience, having made the big dance a total of 24 times across his career. He has made six Final Fours and won one national championship in that span.

Arkansas is the fourth school that John Calipari has led to the tournament after leaving Kentucky to come to Fayetteville this offseason. As he gears up for another run, he had an interesting way of breaking down what leads to success.

“At this time of the year, you’re not worried about ego or anything else,” he said. “It is survive and advance. You’re playing in a tournament of four teams. We’re here in Providence. A four-team tournament. If you can win this, you go to another four-team tournament.”

The Razorbacks are set to tip off against Kansas at 6:10 p.m. CT on Thursday in Providence. We’ll see then exactly how Calipari handles his team’s depth this March Madness.