Multiple Kansas basketball players dealing with injuries ahead of Arkansas scrimmage

Many Kansas basketball fans are rightfully excited for the season to unofficially kick off this Friday in a scrimmage between the Jayhawks and Arkansas. Bill Self and Co. will travel to Bud Walton Arena to take on new Razorbacks head coach John Calipari, who shockingly left Kentucky for an intraconference job earlier this year.

It’ll be fun to watch the top-ranked Jayhawks take on a talented squad this early in the campaign. Entering a hostile road environment should also be beneficial for some of KU’s newcomers who haven’t gotten a taste of KU hoops yet. However, it might be time for fans to temper expectations. Coach Self said that several players are nursing injuries heading into the scrimmage, meaning the performance might not be too pretty.

Kansas basketball's roster enters the Arkansas scrimmage banged up

Of KU’s 12 scholarship players, three are at risk of being held out of the contest. Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Hunter Dickinson has a foot sprain that has limited his mobility. Highly touted Alabama transfer Rylan Griffen was listed ‘doubtful’ by Self due to a hip flexor strain. And as fans have known for a while, Mississippi State transfer Shakeel Moore broke his foot in a pickup game in September and has yet to practice.

It appears that none of these three players will play during the scrimmage. Arkansas is in the same boat, though — Coach Cal told the media that he only had three or four healthy scholarship players on the roster last week. One of the Razorbacks’ injured players is Adou Thiero, a talented forward who followed Calipari over from Kentucky. 

Considering Dickinson is penciled in as the starting center, freshman big man Flory Bidunga could see an extended opportunity in his absence. Fans should expect stretch big Zach Clemence, who redshirted last year, to also play some significant minutes with the second unit.

The game is a friendly match being played to raise money for charity. Kansas will donate proceeds to the Fore The Kids Foundation in Kansas City, while Arkansas plans to send them to Arkansas Children’s Hospitals. Last year, the Jayhawks took on Illinois in a scrimmage, raising more than $1 million for the Maui Strong Fund after the devastating wildfires in Hawaii. Kansas lost 82-75 against Self’s former school, which he coached from 2000-2003.

Not only is it the first time the 2024-25 Kansas basketball team will play a televised game against a different team, but it doesn’t count toward the regular season record and the roster is dealing with nagging injuries. Moral of the story: Do not freak out if the Jayhawks don’t look good on Friday.