Arkansas forward Justin Smith returned to the Razorbacks’ lineup Saturday at Alabama, 15 days after undergoing surgery to repair his injured right ankle.
Smith played 18 minutes, scored 5 points and recorded 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal in the Razorbacks’ 90-59 loss at Coleman Coliseum. He also committed three of the Razorbacks’ 18 turnovers.
Smith playing — much less starting — came as a surprise. On Friday, Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said Smith had returned to practice, but had not completed a practice since the Jan. 1 arthroscopic debridement surgery.
“I think he kind of played like we expected he would,” Musselman said.