Kansas Jayhawks fall to Arkansas in charity hoops exhibition game: 3 takeaways
Basketball season has finally arrived for the Kansas Jayhawks.
Well, kind of.
No. 1-ranked KU lost to No. 16 Arkansas 85-69 Friday evening in a charity men’s exhibition game at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
Three Kansas players missed the game due to injuries: Hunter Dickinson (ankle sprain); Shakeel Moore (recovery from surgery); and Rylan Griffen (hip flexor).
With those three sidelined, KU’s starting lineup consisted of Dajuan Harris, AJ Storr, Zeke Mayo, KJ Adams and Flory Bidunga.
Harris scored 26 points while Rakease Passmore had 11 off the bench.
Kansas trailed Arkansas 45-33 at halftime and didn’t get within single digits the rest of the way.
Up next for KU: The Jayhawks will play host to Washburn in another exhibition Tuesday evening at Allen Fieldhouse.
Until then, here are three takeaways from Friday night’s exhibition contest …
Hunter Dickinson was sorely missed
Before the game, KU coach Bill Self talked about how Friday evening presented an opportunity to see how his team would play without Dickinson in the lineup.
It wasn’t a pretty sight.
KU missed Dickinson’s ability to generate easy offense in the post. The Jayhawks were scoreless for nearly three minutes in the first quarter, and that’s when Arkansas went on a run.
As a team, KU shot 45% from the field — a number that would likely be higher with Dickinson on the court.
On the defensive end, it was clear that KU newcomer Bidunga is still adjusting to the college game. He had three fouls within his first 13 minutes of action.
And while Dickinson isn’t always the most stout defender, he can defend without fouling.
KU struggled to defend freshman Fland
Freshman Arkansas guard Boogie Fland torched KU’s guards, especially in the first half.
Fland sped past Harris repeatedly and finished plays at the rim. He scored 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the first half.
Harris wasn’t the only one who struggled to guard Fland, though, as both Mayo and Storr came up empty.
Fland’s quick first step proved to be a problem for the Jayhawks. He reached the basket nearly any time he wanted.
He finished with 22 points and five assists.
Nice night for KU freshman Passmore
Freshman guard Passmore was one of precious few bright spots for the Jayhawks Friday night.
After initially looking a little out of control early, he settled in as the game progressed. He played with great energy and was a spark off the bench for KU’s struggling offense.
Passmore finished with 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting. He also had six rebounds, including four on the offensive end.
He’s a redshirt candidate, but on Friday night he made a case for a spot in this season’s rotation.
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 10:35 PM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks fall to Arkansas in charity hoops exhibition game: 3 takeaways."
