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Arkansas controls preseason No. 1 Kansas in exhibition, Boogie Fland posts 22 points
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Arkansas basketball thoroughly controlled preseason No. 1 Kansas last night in an exhibition contest at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Once again pleased to inform you, it’s Kansaw now pic.twitter.com/yMAqnt0si5
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball (@RazorbackMBB) October 26, 2024
Now, we understand this was just an exhibition. We also understand that Hunter Dickinson – Kansas’ top player and one of the best big men in the country – did not suit up Friday night. But it’s hard not to be excited about the offensive ceiling of this Razorbacks squad.
John Calipari is known for having very fun, NBA-ready freshman guards and this season is no exception. Boogie Fland was amazing for Arkansas on Friday, dropping 22 points with 5 assists and an incredible 6 steals. Fland is uber shifty, and he flashed a very real ability to create his own shot a few times against a great Kansas backcourt.
Another positive was DJ Wagner, who followed Coach Calipari from Kentucky. The former 5-star prospect was on and off at Kentucky – he really struggled to shoot at times, especially from range. There were promising signs from last night that Wagner has rounded a corner in the consistency department, though. The sophomore guard dropped a team-high 24 points on 8/12 shooting and looked confident while doing so.
Jonas Aidoo, the Razorbacks’ defensive anchor who transferred from Tennessee, did not play Friday. Instead, the Razorbacks ran through Zvonimir Ivisic, who also performed very well. The 7-foot Croatian dropped 18 points with 6 boards on 5/10 shooting with 4 assists and 2 blocks. Again – Dickinson was absent so take those numbers with a grain of salt, but that’s obvious improvement from his freshman season with the Wildcats.
Arkansas’ season tips off on November 6 when the Razorbacks face off against Lipscomb.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
