No. 16 Arkansas cruised past No. 1 Kansas in a charity exhibition Friday night at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, 85-69. Here’s everything Kansas Coach Bill Self had to say in the aftermath:
Butt-Kicking In Bud Walton
Neither team was at full strength Friday night, and exhibition results are always to be taken with a grain of salt, but it hard to argue with how impressive Arkansas looked in its first dress rehearsal against a veteran-laden Kansas squad.
“It wasn’t our team, first of all. But I didn’t learn anything very favorable,” Self said. “I learned their three our guards kicked our three guards’ butt. I learned their bigs kicked our big guys’ butt. I’m thinking that it’ll be a different team when some other guys get out there.
“But Arkansas is really talented. They’ve got great pieces. That’ll be the best trio of guards we play against this year. There won’t be anybody better than that we play against. Then they’ve shot-blocking and rim protection behind it. They’ve got a good team.”
Arkansas’ Impressive Backcourt Trio
Boogie Fland and DJ Wagner combined for 46 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 steals in the win. Meanwhile, star transfer Johnell Davis was shaking off the rust with just five points and three turnovers. Collectively, Self heaped high praise for the trio.
“Everybody knows this, but (Fland) is really good,” he said. “D.J. was really good. Their most talented guard (Johnell Davis) maybe isn’t quite himself yet. So that’s why I say, we won’t play against three better ones than those three.”
Is This One Of Calipari’s Better Teams?
It’s way too early to be making such bold declarations, but Bill Self has also been doing this for a very long time at a very high level. When he compliments a team the way he complimented Arkansas tonight, it speaks volumes.
“I actually think this team is better than some of the ones he’s had at Kentucky,” Self said. “We played them at least every other year for the last 10 years. Probably played them seven times in the last 10 years or whatever.
“And there were a couple of teams that were elite, elite, elite. This team, to me, has a chance to be terrific. And maybe more talented than some of the teams he’s had at Kentucky. Not all of them, but some of them. I think they have a real chance.”
Big Night From Big Z
Arkansas’ 7-2 sophomore Zvonimir Ivisic made quite the first impression in Fayetteville with 18 points, a pair of threes, six rebounds, four assists. The uniquely skilled big man proved to be a matchup problem for the Jayhawks.
“He’s skilled and he’s big. He’s long, he’s got skill, he can shoot, he can pass,” Self said. “He can protect the rim. I thought he was good. We didn’t do anything to put him in ball screens … We didn’t set one screen. I mean, so we didn’t take advantage of some things where it forced him to help and do some things.
“Which I think we would if we had played better, maybe better coached. We’ve got to improve on that. But I think he’s good. I think he and Brazile are pretty good in there and they can play together, or one can back the other one up.”