College hoops insider reveals John Calipari's Arkansas and Bill Self's Kansas to play charity exhibition in Fayetteville

Ahead of the 2024-25 college basketball season, John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks and Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks will participate in a charity exhibition. The date of the matchup hasn't been revealed yet, but the tip-off will be at Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville.

College Hoops Today's Jon Rothstein broke the news on X.

"NEWS: Kansas and Arkansas will play a Charity Exhibition during the preseason in Fayetteville, according to multiple sources," he tweeted.

Since 1946, Arkansas and Kansas have gone head-to-head 14 times, with the Jayhawks leading 8-6 overall. Their most recent game was in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in March 2023, which the Razorbacks won 72-71.

For the upcoming season, both teams have undergone drastic changes. Kansas is one of the strongest teams in the NCAA, with Hunter Dickinson returning and the addition of talents like AJ Storr, Zeke Mayo Noah Shelby, Shakeel Moore and Rylan Griffen from the portal.

Arkansas, meanwhile, had a roster re-haul in the offseason after John Calipari's arrival in Fayetteville. DJ Wagner, Jr., Adou Thiero, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jonas Aidoo and Johnell Davis are expected to lead the course of Calipari's first year with the Razorbacks.

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John Calipari shares his game plan for the 2024-25 season

With a roster built entirely from the transfer portal with three freshman recruits, the road to victory looks tough for Calipari.

Although he has four players from Kentucky: Wagner, Thiero, Ivisic and Kareem Watkins, who have experience playing together, others could lack the synergy on court.

With all the challenges stacked against him, John Calipari spoke of his plans for the season to the media in July.

"It was only a few short months ago, I walked in with no team, no staff and no schedule and now we're talking about ... how do we get them to get together but think bigger," Calipari said (via ESPN).

"You think big, but you work bigger. This is not being delusional. You're not dreaming dreams. This is about what you're trying to accomplish for yourself. I'm trying to get them to think like kings, because kings think different," he added.

The Arkansas Razorbacks finished 11th in the SEC last season with a 6-12 conference record and a 16-17 overall record.

With John Calipari's arrival, fans are hopeful for a change in their team's fortunes. In a tweet in August, the coach thanked Razorback fans for their excitement as he revealed that they had bought all season tickets.

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What are your predictions for John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks in the upcoming season? Let's know in the comments section below: