After a disappointing campaign that ended with the second Round of 32 exit in as many years, Bill Self and Kansas basketball have put together one of the best rosters in recent Jayhawk history. However, that hasn't been the biggest college basketball story amid this busy offseason — longtime Kentucky coach John Calipari fleeted to become the new leader of the Arkansas Razorbacks, shocking millions of fans.
Coach Cal didn't waste any time once he assumed his new position, assembling an exceptionally talented squad that could lead into the top 10 in preseason pools. Now, the sport's active all-time wins leader has agreed to compete against another hoops coaching legend. According to College Hoops Today's Jon Rothstein, the two programs will play a charity exhibition game in Fayetteville before the regular season commences.
NEWS: Kansas and Arkansas will play a Charity Exhibition during the preseason in Fayetteville, according to multiple sources. https://t.co/oSZUXusf6A
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 4, 2024
Arkansas, Kansas expected to meet in charity exhibition contest
The specific charity this game will donate to has not been revealed. Still, fans now know the exhibition will be occurring after months of rumoring it to be true.
Kansas should enter the year as the No. 1 team in the country for a consecutive season thanks to the return of star center Hunter Dickinson. It also brought in considerable talent from the transfer portal, such as former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, Lawrence native Zeke Mayo, and sharpshooting wing Rylan Griffen.
Last year, the top-ranked Jayhawks traveled to Champaign to compete in a charity scrimmage for the Maui Strong Fund against Illinois. While it was not a favorable outcome for head coach Bill Self's group, the event raised over $1 million dollars of financial resources for those affected by the devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawai'i.
Arkansas upset No. 1 seeded KU in the NCAA Tournament when the two schools last met. However, Coach Self was not on the sidelines for that contest as a heart ailment forced him to miss the Big 12's conference tournament and March Madness. The Hall of Famer has an opportunity to gain back some bragging rights with a potential road victory, albeit in a meaningless charity game.