Arkansas’ Tramon Mark stretchered off court with back injury in loss to UNC

Arkansas guard Tramon Mark was taken off the court on a stretcher following a hard fall on his back in the second half of the Razorbacks’ game against UNC on Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

Mark was moving his arms while lying on the floor after the fall.
The junior had a game-high 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting before exiting the eventual 87-72 loss in the Bahamas.
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said the injury was to Mark’s back, rather than his head or neck, after the game.

How important is Mark to the Hogs?

Very. After his career-high scoring day, Mark is the team’s leading scorer through seven games. He also brings a winning pedigree to a team that badly needs to figure out how to win. He was the sixth man on Houston’s Final Four team in 2021 and started every game for a 33-win, No. 1 seed and Sweet 16 team last season.

Arkansas, meanwhile, is completely retooled after losing its top five players from a squad that upset No. 1 seed Kansas to make a third consecutive Sweet 16. Musselman is relying heavily on a new crop of transfers and, so far, the pieces haven’t clicked.

The Hogs have lost three of their last four games, including a home upset at the hands of UNC Greensboro, and slipped to 47th in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings. Losing Mark for any extended period only makes matters tougher — with games against Duke and Oklahoma looming before SEC play begins. — Kyle Tucker, college basketball staff writer

Backstory

Mark, a transfer from Houston, averaged 15.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists through his first six games this year. The No. 20 Razorbacks are 4-3 on the season with the loss, while the No. 14 Tar Heels advanced to 5-1.