Kansas basketball vs Arkansas recap: Razorbacks defeat Jayhawks in exhibition matchup

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Kansas basketball got its first look at how its team is able to perform against another Friday, on the road during an exhibition game against Arkansas.

The matchup came as the Jayhawks prepare to enter the regular season as the No. 1 team in the nation. The Razorbacks will enter the season as the No. 16 team in the nation. Each ranking came by way of the USA TODAY Preseason Poll, which was voted on by the coaches.

Kansas head coach Bill Self has been leading his program for more than two decades. Arkansas head coach John Calipari is in his first year at the helm at his, after a lengthy run as the head coach at Kentucky. These two coaches were not unfamiliar to each other ahead of tip-off, with their most recent matchup coming last season during the Champions Classic in Chicago — a game the Jayhawks won against the Wildcats.

Inside the likely format of Kansas basketball’s road exhibition game against Arkansas

Here’s what happened during the exhibition:

UPDATE: 10:15 p.m. (CT): FINAL: Arkansas 85, Kansas 69

UPDATE: 9:50 p.m. (CT): Arkansas 68, Kansas 52 with 7:28 left in 4Q

Kansas does have an advantage in second-chance points, 13-6. That comes off of a slight advantage in offensive rebounds, 8-6. But it’s one of the few areas where the Jayhawks are leading.

Dajuan Harris Jr. has made plays that could provide a spark at times. So, too, have some others. But Kansas has also left a number of opportunities out on the court, and there will certainly be a lot to learn from following this matchup.

UPDATE: 9:44 p.m. (CT): END 3Q: Arkansas 65, Kansas 50

When Kansas is at full strength, the Jayhawks will have to work to ensure the turnover issues that have hindered them tonight don’t continue. Arkansas has out-scored Kansas 15-5 in points off of turnovers. While the Razorbacks have turned it over seven times, the Jayhawks have turned it over 11 times.

There continues to be promise in what a pair of Kansas freshmen are doing. Rakease Passmore is up to 11 points, with four rebounds. Flory Bidunga has six points and a team-high seven rebounds.

UPDATE: 9:30 p.m. (CT): Arkansas 56, Kansas 38 with 4:40 left in 3Q

There are open looks that aren’t falling, but overall Kansas’ offense continues to not look like many would think it’s capable of. AJ Storr and Zeke Mayo, two potential starters this season, have a combined seven points while shooting 3-for-11 from the field and 1-for-8 from behind the arc. Dajuan Harris Jr.’s 13 points continue to lead the Jayhawks, while KJ Adams Jr. isn’t far behind with nine.

Arkansas has a trio of players in double figures scoring. There’s D.J. Wagner with 17, Boogie Fland with 15 and Zvonimir Ivisic with 11. Neither team is shooting the ball well from behind the arc at this point, but the Razorbacks are handling that much better than Kansas.

UPDATE: 9:02 p.m. (CT): HALFTIME: Arkansas 45, Kansas 33

There is a bright spot for Kansas, in Dajuan Harris Jr.’s play so far. Although the veteran guard has a few fouls, he also has a team-high 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting from the field and 2-for-2 shooting from behind the arc. He also has a couple of assists, to go with one turnover.

The free-throw disparity continues to be a problem. The Jayhawks are playing better defensively but not following that up as much on the offensive end. They certainly seem to be missing center Hunter Dickinson, who’s unavailable tonight due to injury, as is guard Rylan Griffen.

UPDATE: 8:45 p.m. (CT) Arkansas 37, Kansas 25 with 5:13 left in 2Q

Flory Bidunga has had his moments for Kansas early. The freshman, in his first competition against an opponent at the college level, has had multiple high-profile dunks and he has six points and three rebounds early. However, something to watch is he has three fouls and it’ll be something to follow this season if that foul trouble continues.

The Jayhawks’ 3-point shooting has continued to fall off since the quality start. Arkansas is also doing a much better job of getting to the free-throw line. There’s a lot for Kansas to work on team-wise.

UPDATE: 8:35 p.m. (CT): END 1Q: Arkansas 25, Kansas 17

Kansas’ offense struggled mightily as the first quarter came to an end. The 3s stopped falling for the Jayhawks, and it’s not as if they were making up for that elsewhere. Their offense looked stagnant without Dajuan Harris Jr. running things at the point, and it’s not as if he was out of the game for all that long.

Arkansas is out-rebounding Kansas. The Razorbacks look far more comfortable, likely in part because they are playing in front of a home crowd. Maybe the Jayhawks can gain some momentum if AJ Storr can knock down a 3-pointer.

UPDATE: 8:20 p.m. (CT): Arkansas 16, Kansas 14 with 4:44 left in 1Q

Arkansas leads at the first timeout, with 4:44 left in the first quarter. The Razorbacks aren’t missing often, going 6-for-7 from the field, 2-for-3 from behind the arc and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. They’re led by D.J. Wagner’s eight points and perfect shooting effort so far.

Considering the players Kansas has unavailable, this isn’t going to be a full look at how the Jayhawks will play this season and whether some of the early issues are because of that or not it hasn’t always looked great. However, AJ Storr’s athleticism is evident in the minutes he’s played. The Jayhawks, in a small sample size, are hitting a good amount of their 3s as well.

Pregame

Here is Kansas basketball’s starting lineup

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self previews matchup

Kansas basketball vs Arkansas exhibition game time

What channel is Kansas basketball vs Arkansas exhibition game on today?

Kansas basketball’s exhibition game against Arkansas will be broadcast on SEC Network. John Schriffen will be on the call on play-by-play, Seth Greenberg will be an analyst and Jimmy Dykes will be an analyst as well.

How did Kansas basketball play last season?

Last season, Kansas finished 23-11 overall. The Jayhawks were able to reach the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament, before their season ended. Issues with injury and depth created problems that eventually contributed to the team’s exit from postseason play.

How did Arkansas basketball play last season?

Last season, Arkansas finished 16-17 overall. The Razorbacks did not reach the NCAA tournament. Their head coach that season, Eric Musselman, is now the head coach at USC.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

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This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball vs Arkansas recap: Jayhawks lose exhibition game