Arkansas freshman reserve guard Jason Henry of West Memphis was scheduled to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery Monday afternoon, coach John Pelphrey confirmed Monday morning.

Obviously Henr y, who did not play because of the knee problem in last Saturday's victory over Northwestern State, won't be available for tonight's 7 p.m. Razorback Sports Properties televised game against Oklahoma in Walton Arena nor Saturday's game with North Texas at Alltel Arena in North Little Rock.

Henr y had scored 12 points in his last game, a 67-51 victory over Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 20. He had also scored 12 against North Carolina Central and 19 against Texas Southern.

"It's unfortunate for J," Pelphrey said. "He was really, really close to being able to start doing some things that with his talent level could make an impact for us. But it's not a death blow for him. They'll get in there and clean it up and who knows in as little as two weeks, maybe four, he'll get back."

Arkansas' Okie vs. OU

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Arkansas starts a threeguard alignment that normally includes freshman point guard Courtney Fortson, freshman shooting guard Rotnei Clarke and either defensively oriented sophomore Marcus Britt of Forrest City or streak shooting junior Stefan Welsh, 51 points his last three games including a career high 27 against Northwestern State.

Pelphrey said he was going to wait until shortly before tonight's tipoff to decide his starters but said all four guards must play extensively, particularly with Henry's minutes missing.

Clarke, just 2 for 11 shooting, was the only one of the four guards to struggle against Northwestern State but there ought to be a home state edge for the Claremore, Okla. native playing the Sooners tonight.

"It is going to be a little bit different," Clarke said. "An instate school coming in and playing them. I know some guys who play on that team and have actually played with some guys who played on that team."

The Sooner likely to guard him tonight, freshman guard Willie Warren of Fort Worth, were several years former summer AAU teammates on a Texas-based team.

So Warren says he's not surprised about Razorback reports of the lengths of Clarke's 3-point shots.

"I figured he could do that," Warren said to Guerin Emig of the Tulsa World. "After they lost Patrick Beverley [the Razorback twoyear starter who turned pro] I knew Rotnei's role would step up a little more. Him being able to shoot it anywhere and make shots like he does, I knew he wouldn't have a tough time doing that."

At one time, Warren told the World, he and Clarke, considered attending the same college.

"I still have a lot of respect for him, and his game," Warren said. "We just went our separate ways. Right now we're 12-0 and No. 4 in the

country. If he would have come here, we'd probably still be 12-0 and No. 4 in the country. That would have just added more depth to our shooting. But he decided to go to Arkansas. I'm glad he's doing his thing up there."

OU coach Jeff Capel said he recruited Clarke but backed off as he realized the shooter was favoring Arkansas.

Washington's monument

Capel won't be fooled by Clarke shooting 2 for 11 against Northwestern State nor suckered by Arkansas forward Michael Washington only netting 6 points and 3 rebounds against Northwestern State.

Capel can remember Washington last season in Norman, Okla., tallying 16 points and 12 boards to keep Arkansas fighting before succumbing 83-72 to the Sooners.

This season Washington averages a 15.1/10.3 scoring rebounding doubledouble.

"Mike isn't going to base his performance against Oklahoma on what happened prior to Oklahoma," Pelphrey said. "I don't know what he did

last year prior to Oklahoma but he had a good game against them. I'm sure that gives him confidence going into this game."

And cause Capel to prepare accordingly.

"I'm sure Oklahoma will be aware of what he did last year, and will have a game plan tr ying to slow him down," Pelphrey said.

OU assistant coach Oronde Taliaferro knows Washington well. Taliaferro coached Washington, Welsh and Marcus Monk at Arkansas as an assistant to former Arkansas coach Stan Heath.