By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas forward Marshawn Powell underwent surgery Wednesday morning on the left foot he injured during offseason conditioning drills.
Arkansas, through a university spokesperson, said the surgery was “in relation to his foot injury earlier in the spring.” The purpose, the university spokesperson said, was to help “clean it up and make sure everything is OK” before the summer begins.
The extent of the injury, which was first revealed last month, is not known. Arkansas has said it is not a continuation of the problem that plagued him throughout the 2010-11 season.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson was attending a golf tournament and speaking engagement in Hot Springs and was not available for comment Wednesday. But Anderson did say last month Powell, who was the only returning Razorback unable to participate in individual workouts, was progressing in his recovery.
“Marshawn’s doing well,” Anderson said last month. “He’s been in a boot to keep the pressure off that foot. But he’s been involved in the workouts when you talk about just the weights. He’s working hard.”
An Arkansas spokesperson said Powell is expected to be off his foot for a couple of weeks, but should resume all basketball activities later this summer.
The injury isn’t expected to slow him down this fall, when Arkansas opens practice in preparation for their first season under Anderson. It is the third straight offseason Powell is dealing with an injury, though.
Powell was limited before his freshman season began because of a broken hand he suffered during offseason work in 2009. The injury didn’t keep him off the court when the season began. Powell started all 32 games and averaged 14.9 points and 6.7 rebounds.
He struggled last season, though, after breaking a bone in his foot playing a pickup game in his hometown in Virginia. The injury did not require surgery, but Powell was limited all summer and throughout the preseason. His production dipped, too, averaging 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 28 games.
Powell admitted he may have returned too quickly from the injury and said it affected him most of the year.
