Daryl Macon's status for Sunday's final game at the Phil Knight Invitational is up in the air after the senior guard sustained an apparent right ankle injury in Arkansas' 87-68 loss Friday to No. 9 North Carolina.
Macon went down with the injury with 14:55 remaining in the second half after he drove baseline and stepped on North Carolina forward Luke Maye's foot, twisting his ankle in the process.
He didn't return to the game.
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Mike Anderson didn't elaborate on Macon's injury after the game.
"I couldn't be at liberty to say what it is right now," Anderson said. "... I'll find out. I don't know right now."
Macon stayed on the floor for an extended period after sustaining the injury as trainer Dave England and Anderson checked on him. When he did stand up, he slowly walked off the court under his own power with a pronounced limp.
He immediately went to the locker room and was visibly upset, yelling and slapping a door as he exited the court area. Less than 10 minutes later, he briefly rejoined the team on the bench, walking back onto the sideline with less of a limp.
A few minutes later, Macon headed back to the locker room, jogging slowly with a noticeable limp.
Macon had an off-shooting performance before sustaining the injury, scoring 7 points on 2-of-11 shooting in 23 minutes. He still ranks second on the team with an average of 16.4 points per game.
Foul issues
Arkansas was called for 19 fouls, compared to 13 for North Carolina. The Razorbacks attempted eight free throws compared to the Tar Heels' 21.
Foul trouble to key Arkansas players was an issue.
Senior guard Jaylen Barford sat the final 7:33 of the first half after picking up his second foul on a charging call. Freshman center Daniel Gafford played just three first-half minutes after picking up two fouls, then picked up his third and fourth in a 30-second span in the second half.
"We got some guys in foul trouble and I thought that kind of limited us," Anderson said. "... There was a big-time disparity in fouls, so therefore they're going to shoot free throws."
Barford wound up playing a season-low 27 minutes, while Gafford was limited to just 15. Arkansas struggled when the pair went to the bench with fouls.
The Razorbacks went on 9-0 and 10-0 runs in the second half with Gafford on the floor. Earlier, North Carolina outscored Arkansas by eight the remainder of the first half after Barford went to the bench with his second foul, extending a three-point lead to 11, a double-digit margin the Tar Heels maintained until a late Arkansas run.
"It didn't really take me out of rhythm," Barford said. "I just knew I had to keep my head in the game and get ready for the second half," Barford said. "I knew we was going to put up a fight. Just try to help my team win as much as possible and just keep a positive head on the bench."
Gafford wrap
Gafford sported a wrap on his right hand in Arkansas' games against Oklahoma and North Carolina, the result of a minor ailment suffered in practice.
"He had it, he had a good game [against OU] and he kept it," Anderson said. "Nah, just kidding. I think he bumped it, maybe banged it in practice."
Gafford has played well when he's stayed out of foul trouble early in his freshman season. He is averaging 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 70.6 percent in 20.6 minutes per game.
Bailey blocks
Adrio Bailey had a breakout performance off the bench in the NCAA Tournament against North Carolina, emerging as a spark plug and helping the Razorbacks lead late in an eventual close loss.
The sophomore forward made an impact in the starting lineup against the Tar Heels on Friday, with 4 points, 4 rebounds and a career-high 5 blocks in 18 minutes. He also offered rim protection as a help defender several times.
His previous career-best was two blocks, a mark he's hit five times. He came into the game averaging 1.8 blocks over the course of Arkansas' first four games.
Facts and figures
Arkansas dropped to 3-7 all-time against North Carolina.
The Razorbacks haven't beaten North Carolina since winning a Final Four matchup in Seattle in 1995 to earn their second consecutive trip to the national title game.
Friday was the first regular-season matchup between the programs since Arkansas beat a top-ranked, unbeaten Tar Heels team with Michael Jordan, 65-64 in Pine Bluff in 1984.
The meeting marked the 10th different city and ninth different state the schools have played in.
The Hogs have lost six consecutive games to ACC teams, dropping games against North Carolina on Friday, last season and in 2015, matchups against Clemson and Wake Forest in 2015 and Georgia Tech in 2014.
Mike Anderson's Arkansas teams are now 2-12 against Associated Press top-10 opponents, with the last victory coming against Texas A&M two years ago.
North Carolina Coach Roy Williams improved to 4-0 all-time against Arkansas. Friday was the first non-NCAA Tournament game he's coached against the Razorbacks.
Sports on 11/25/2017