Kansas basketball: Five things to know about the Arkansas Razorbacks

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 16: Makhi Mitchell #15, Nick Smith Jr. #3, Ricky Council IV #1 and Jordan Walsh #13 of the Arkansas Razorbacks look on against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 16, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

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1. Three of Arkansas’ five starters are freshmen.

All five-star freshmen (Nick Smith, Anthony Black, Jordan Walsh) start at their respective positions. Although senior Kamani Johnson got the nod vs. Illinois, Walsh typically starts as their primary big man. Even in this contest, Walsh received the majority of the floor time — he played 27 minutes to Johnson’s 12.

A young, talented team does not come without its flaws. Plenty of winnable games, such as losses to LSU and Vanderbilt, were the result of an inexperienced group being unable to close out games.

Kansas’ rotation consists of much more mature players, especially those who were part of last year’s national championship-winning team. Jalen Wilson has been through the thick and thin of March Madness basketball. Meanwhile, lots of the Arkansas team had their first glimpse of the postseason just two days ago. One of KU’s advantages, when these two teams meet, is how battle-tested they have been.

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