Arkansas basketball is once again set to host one of the nation’s elite programs for a preseason charity exhibition, as the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks will face the Razorbacks on Friday evening at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. The game is set for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff and it will be televised on SEC Network.
The matchup will mark the first ever look at the Hoop Hogs under first-year head coach John Calipari. Arkansas has a roster that features three highly-touted freshmen, five key transfers and one returning scholarship player in forward Trevon Brazile.
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Arkansas and Kansas haven’t met in Fayetteville since Dec. 6, 1986, when the Jayhawks defeated the Razorbacks, 103-86. The Hogs won the most-recent matchup, though, by defeating Kansas, 72-71, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the 2022-23 season. Kansas leads the all-time series, 8-6.
Calipari is familiar with Kansas head coach Bill Self, who defeated the Calipari-led Memphis Tigers in the 2008 national championship game. According to Calipari, he’s friends with Self and the two coaches might choose to feature situational work in Friday’s exhibition, but it will be a real game with quarters instead of halves.
“Let’s play zone for five minutes,” Calipari said Oct. 1. “Let’s press each other. Let’s do situation work, two- three-minute situations. We’re up eight, then we’re down eight. Let’s see how we play. Why not? It’s good for both programs.”
Calipari provided clarification in a tweet Thursday for any fans not sure what the format of the contest will look like.
“This is a REAL exhibition game,” Calipari said. “Bill Self and I both talked about what our teams need and we decided on quarters which will provide more situational opportunities. We are looking forward to an incredible atmosphere in Bud Walton Arena tomorrow night! Can’t wait to walk out of the home teams tunnel for the first time! Let’s do this!:
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The new Head Hog also made it a point of emphasis to temper expectations as his team is littered with new faces that have yet to play a game against outside competition.
“Probably going to get stung pretty good,” Calipari said. “But it’s perfect for us to figure out where we are right now. For our fans to see where we are. The staff, everyone, has an idea of where we are right now, and that we’ve got work to do. I’ve never promised to have a magic wand.”
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Arkansas hosted Purdue, which was ranked No. 1 in several preseason polls, last season for preseason charity exhibition. Led by former coach Eric Musselman, the Razorbacks won 81-77 in overtime against the Boilermakers.
The Hogs own a 73-10 all-time record in exhibition games, including a 64-9 mark at home, where they’ve won 37 straight exhibitions.
Friday’s exhibition is sponsored by CareSource. Arkansas will donate proceeds to Arkansas Children’s Hospitals and Kansas will donate to Fore The Kids Foundation, a partner of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
Below are details on how to watch and links to watch, plus all of our content leading up to the game.
Who: No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks vs. No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks
What: Preseason charity exhibition
When: Friday, Oct. 25 at 8:00 p.m. CT
Where: Bud Walton Arena — Fayetteville, Arkansas
TV/Stream: SEC Network/Watch ESPN
