Kansas vs. Arkansas: Live game reactions and analysis

Fayetteville, Ark. – No. 1-ranked Kansas travels to No. 16-ranked Arkansas in this college basketball exhibition game. This is the first time we've seen Hall of Fame head coach John Calipari on the Arkansas sidelines

Starter: Arkansas vs. Kansas

Some of both teams' usual starters will not play in this game. For Arkansas, they are without a senior Jonas Aidoo. Kansas will be without seniors Hunter Dickinson And Shakeel Moore and Junior Rylan Griffen.

Kansas – Sr. PG Dajuan Harris, Sr. G Zeke Mayo, Jr. SG AJ Storr, Sr. PF KJ Adams, Fr. C Flory Bidunga

Arkansas – Ms. PG Boogie Fland, Sun. PG DJ Wagner, Ms. SF Karter Knox, Jr. PF Adou Thiero, So. C Zvonimir Ivisic

Game notes

2:41 1Q – Freshman guard Boogie Fland and sophomore guard DJ Wagner were super aggressive coming out of the gates. Fland, who was the best point guard in the game in the 2024 recruiting class, played with confidence, handling the ball and attacking open spaces in the halfcourt. Wagner hit an early three-pointer, but also touched the paint and went downhill with steam. This pairing was impressive early on.

1:21 1Q – Kansas senior forward KJ Adams is like a wrecking ball out there. His motor runs non-stop and that has led to some extra games for his team. Defensively, his length and quickness have led to some positive defensive possessions. He is active on the boards and finishes high above the rim with ferocity – Arkansas 23, Kansas 17

end of 1st quarter; Arkansas 25 and Kansas 17

8:24 2Q – Zvonimir Ivisic is clearly comfortable taking shots from distance, and his pick-and-pop game is something Arkansas will utilize this season. Big Z hits a three-pointer off the catch and takes an off-balance step back the next time. Big Z's abilities fascinated fans last season, he noticeably gained weight. As he continues to figure out his game, he should be able to give this Razorback team an alternative look to Jonas Aidoo once he's healthy again. – Arkansas 30, Kansas 19

8:05 2Q – Flory Bidunga made a name for himself with his engine as a high school prospect. He is a top 1 percent athlete and can get off the ground quickly. Bidunga made back-to-back plays above the rim, one with a drop-step dunk and one with an alley-oop across the court. Bidunga also made some ball plays defensively and got into the passing lanes. While he's still working on offensive skills, he offers something different than what the Jayhawks will get from Dickinson. – Arkansas 30, Kansas 21

5:13 2Q – time out – Arkansas 37, Kansas 25

1:40 2Q – Freshmen Boogie Fland was the best player on the floor up to that point. He used quick hands and anticipation defensively, disrupting DaJuan Harris' flow. He has also used his love dribble to attack open pockets on the floor. He just finished with a big and-1 and came up short of a steal. With a decisive first step he secured his positions in the half field, his pace was excellent. His attitude so far has surpassed his age. – Arkansas 42, Kansas 29

1:24 2Q – While Dajuan Harris was very easy with the ball, he was a constant scoring threat for the Jayhawks. The senior guard is one of the most experienced players in college basketball. He will have to tighten things up. While making plays, he had several turnovers in the game and was unable to secure the defense's point of attack. – Arkansas 42, Kansas 31

half time; Arkansas 45, Kansas 33

Second semester DJ Wagner finished the first half with 13 points and a freshman Boogie Fland led the Razorbacks with 14 points in the first half. Together they led 10:14 from the field.

8:31 3Q – Ivisic made it with an instinctive move, grabbing the deflected shot and quickly firing a pass towards the goal Adou Thiero. The release took place over Thiero's inside shoulder, while the defender ran along the long side of his outside shoulder. Thiero grabbed the pass, took a dribble and rose to confidently sink it and bring the crowd to their feet. It's these kinds of flashes from Ivisic that make him so interesting as a long-term prospect. – Arkansas 51, Kansas 33

6:06 3Q – Boogie Fland And DJ Wagner In this case I was able to touch the color however I wanted. Both were decisive right from the start, quickly put their feet on the ground and got downhill. They were also unselfish, attacking with their heads held high and making the right play with both feet on the field. Kansas didn't offer much to keep either guard out of the game. – Arkansas 56, Kansas 38

4:40 3Q – Timeout. Arkansas 56, Kansas 38

1:20 3Q – A bright spot for Kansas tonight was the freshman Rakease Passmore. Coming to Lawrence with a reputation as a defensive stopper, the 6-foot-1 wing aggressively tried to score the ball by knocking down a smooth catch-and-shoot three-pointer. In 2024, he was the industry's 42nd recruit. He has to keep collecting and collecting, but there's a lot to like about how he keeps things simple. – Arkansas 63, Kansas 46

end of 3rd quarter; Arkansas 65, Kansas 50

8:25 4Q – It just wasn’t a great game for the senior point guard Dajuan Harris. His 17 points currently lead Kansas, but he wasn't particularly dynamic right out of the gate and was repeatedly beaten on offense right out of the gate. For Kansas to live up to its preseason hype, Harris will need to have a good season. He was at his best here, playing defense and chasing his floater in the middle of the field. – Arkansas 68, Kansas 52

5:36 4Q – As the game slowed down and Arkansas moved the ball and played in the half court, much of their offense ran through Big Z. Ivisic found himself being set up from multiple levels of the floor and he did a good job, to read the matchup. When the defense was one-on-one, he took his time and tried to score (he had a floater, a drop-step dunk and a left-handed finish). When help came, Ivisic showed quick processing and excellent sensitivity with his passes. That was a really good performance, a versatile performance for Big Z here. – Arkansas 73, Kansas 55

3:37 4Q – Arkansas made some sloppy plays up top, and DaJuan Harris scored a few quick baskets to get Kansas back to the 12-point mark. Kansas immediately tries to score consecutive dribble handoffs KJ Adams on top of the key. The first one was blown up Boogie Fland and the second of DJ Wagner. The DHOs were pretty sloppy as Adams failed to make contact with any of the defenders. The signs of life from Kansas were promising, if short-lived. – Arkansas 77, Kansas 61

Final; Arkansas 85, Kansas 69

Arkansas: DJ Wagner 24 points (8-12 FG), Boogie Fland 22 points (8-15 FG) 6 steals, Zvonimir Ivisic 18 points (5-10 FG) 6 rebounds

Kansas: Dajuan Harris 26 points (11-17 FG), Rakease Passmore 11 points (4-7 FG), KJ Adams 9 points (4-10 FG), Flory Bidunga 6 points (3-4 FG) 7 rebounds