Quick recap: KU lost key players, drops sloppy exhibition game at Arkansas, 85-69

Kansas forward KJ Adams Jr. (24) shoots during the second half against Kansas City on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self has highlighted his ongoing efforts throughout the preseason to figure out how the Jayhawks' different parts fit together.

Playing without some of the key pieces of that puzzle — preseason All-American center Hunter Dickinson and transfers Rylan Griffen and Shakeel Moore, all sidelined with various minor injuries — KU didn't look cohesive on both sides of the ball Friday night and lost 85-69 to preseason No. 16 Arkansas in a charity exhibition at Bud Walton Arena.

With the Razorbacks missing one of their key offseason acquisitions in Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo, new head coach John Calipari drafted five players who had either committed to him or played for him at Kentucky, and several rewarded him with strong ones Services. Sophomore DJ Wagner led the Razorbacks with 24 points, while freshman guard Boogie Fland scored 22 with a whopping six steals.

KU's sixth-year point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. used his usual mix of acrobatic layups and precise 3-point shooting to score a game-high 11-for-26, which would also have been a career high if the game counted would have -17 shooting. The Jayhawks trailed by double digits throughout the second half but got some life thanks to Harris and freshman Rakease Passmore, their only other double-digit scorer, before a series of late fouls and turnovers.

KU fell behind 8-2 in the opening period thanks to two three-pointers from Wagner before Zeke Mayo helped stem the tide with a goal of his own and a nifty transition assist for fellow transfer AJ Storr.

The Razorbacks led by as many as seven points on an alley-oop by Fland over the backboard against their only returning player, Trevon Brazile. However, a key offensive rebound by KJ Adams turned into a five-point possession thanks to an off-ball foul by Arkansas freshman Karter Knox (a 3-pointer by Harris and a dunk by Adams).

Arkansas maintained a slight lead in the first quarter and extended it to 25-17 by the end of the quarter thanks to a three-minute scoring drought by the Jayhawks.

The drought continued in the second quarter until a putback from freshman Flory Bidunga gave the rookie his first points. He then scored two more goals in quick succession, including a long-range throw from Harris, but the Razorbacks kept KU at bay. They extended their lead to double digits, 35-25, when Passmore fouled Wagner on a jump shot, leading to a three-point play. KU coach Bill Self called a timeout after Zach Clemence and Passmore were not on the same page, causing a turnover that led to a layup by Knox.

After the timeout, the Jayhawks looked much better defensively, forcing four stops in a row and reducing the deficit with two baskets from Harris. But an Arkansas timeout prevented them from gaining any more traction, and Fland continued to torment KU on both sides of the ball with a steal and five straight points. At halftime, Fland had a game-high 14 points with three assists and three steals, and a late basket by Johnell Davis gave the Razorbacks a 45-33 halftime lead.

The break didn’t seem to do KU any favors. By midway through the third quarter, the Jayhawks' deficit had increased to 18 points twice and they continued to struggle down the field. KU didn't score a field goal for nearly four minutes before a Jamari McDowell layup, and Arkansas responded immediately with a 3-pointer from Davis.

On the positive side for the Jayhawks, Passmore found his breakthrough a little late in the third quarter and managed to score eight points in that period.

Harris continued to put on a standout performance deep into the fourth quarter, but Knox responded with an immediate three-point play on a foul from Clemence. However, Harris fought through one drive after another, bringing KU to within 73-61 before Arkansas scored two layups after turnovers by Adams to extend its lead again.

The Jayhawks return home for a second matchup against Washburn on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and expect their injured players to have returned to practice by then.

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Quick recap: KU lost key players, drops sloppy exhibition game at Arkansas, 85-69

Written by Henry Greenstein

Henry is a sports editor at Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com and serves as a KU beat writer while managing daily sports coverage. He previously worked as a sports reporter at The Bakersfield Californian and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (BA, Linguistics) and Arizona State University (MA, Sports Journalism). Despite being from Los Angeles, he's often been told that he doesn't give off “California vibes,” whatever that means.

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