KU basketball vs. Arkansas recap: The Jayhawks’ season comes to an end with an NCAA tournament loss

DES MOINES, IA. Kansas men’s basketball continued its NCAA tournament run Saturday with a round of 32 matchup against Arkansas.
The 1-seed Jayhawks arrived after defeating the 16-seed Howard. The 8-seed Razorbacks arrived after defeating the 9-seed Illini. Kansas and Arkansas both competed for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16.
Were the Jayhawks able to continue their quest to defend their national title? Were the Razorbacks able to defeat the defending champions? Kansas’ acting head coach was Norm Roberts once more, as Bill Self remained unavailable due to health issues.

Kansas 35, Arkansas 27 at halftime

Arkansas 72, Kansas 71 in the final.

The teams fought hard down the stretch, with Arkansas taking control late and forcing the Jayhawks to play from behind. Kansas was unable to score enough points to win or force overtime. The season of the Kansas Jayhawks has come to an end.
Kansas leads Arkansas 64-61 with 3:05 remaining in the second half.
It’s now a back-and-forth game. Kansas holds a slim lead with less than three minutes remaining. Kevin McCullar Jr.’s clutch 3-pointer gave them the lead.
Kansas’ McCullar and KJ Adams Jr. both have four fouls, as does Ernest Udeh Jr. The Jayhawks rely on McCullar and Adams to remain on the court. Arkansas could take over if they don’t have one or both of them.
Arkansas leads Kansas 52-51 with 8:51 remaining in the 2nd half
Arkansas now leads the game 11-0. Kansas is in serious trouble. And the Razorbacks have reclaimed the lead.
The Jayhawks will be in the bonus for the rest of the game. That’s a plus for Kansas right now. However, they must seize opportunities as they arise.

Kansas leads Arkansas 51-43 with 12:14 remaining in the 2nd half

Arkansas is not going away. Kansas has a double-digit lead in the second half, but the Razorbacks are still aggressive and have a chance. Arkansas is led by Davonte Davis’ 14 points.
Jalen Wilson, on the other hand, leads Kansas with 14 points. Gradey Dick has seven points after hitting his first three-pointer of the game. Kevin McCullar Jr. leads the team in scoring with nine points.

Kansas leads Arkansas 46-34 with 15:17 remaining in the 2nd half

Dajuan Harris Jr. is back on the court for the Jayhawks and doing well. He’s a big reason why they’re up by 12 points with 15:17 remaining in the second half. He has eight points, five assists, and three rebounds for the game.

Kansas, on the other hand, has a problem. Ernest Udeh Jr. and KJ Adams Jr. both have four fouls. So, with depth at the 5-spot an issue, Zuby Ejiofor is getting some important minutes.

Kansas leads Arkansas 28-21 with 3:52 remaining in the 1 half

Arkansas coach Eric Musselman is furious with the officials. It’s not a new development, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. He’s been in their ears the entire game, and if this game starts to get away from them, the Razorbacks could be in big trouble if a technical foul is called on him.
On the Kansas side, Dajuan Harris Jr. has been outstanding for the Jayhawks thus far. He currently has four points, four assists, and three rebounds. And if he continues to play like this, Kansas will be well-positioned to win this game.

Kansas leads Arkansas 20-15 with 7:54 remaining in the 1st half.

The Razorbacks have been much better at moving the ball and creating quality looks recently. Of course, their 3-point shooting remains subpar. However, the overall improvement has allowed them to make this a game once more.
Just a few moments ago, the Jayhawks were fortunate to see Joseph Yesufu hit a 3-pointer from way, way, way behind the 3-point line. That happened as the shot clock was running out. It was also Kansas’ first three-point attempt of the game.

Kansas leads Arkansas 13-6 with 11:55 remaining in the 1st half

Kansas is now having difficulty hitting shots from the field. The Jayhawks haven’t scored in nearly three minutes. However, their defence has been outstanding thus far, and they are still up seven points with less than 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

Right now, the teams are a combined 0-for-8 from beyond the arc. Kansas has gone 0-for-3, while Arkansas has gone 0-for-5. If the Jayhawks can begin to correct that on their end, they may be able to pull away early.

Kansas leads Arkansas 9-2 with 15:53 remaining in the 1st half

The Kansas Jayhawks are on a 9-0 run right now. Although the Razorbacks scored first, they haven’t in more than two and a half minutes and have missed their last four shots from the pitch. Arkansas is 0-for-4 from beyond the arc and has to settle for shots that Kansas wants the Razorbacks to take.

The statuses of Arkansas guards Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black are two other things to keep an eye on right now. Smith has already been called for two fouls. Black was forced to leave the game due to an apparent injury.

The game has begun.
Arkansas received the first tip-off, and this one is currently underway.

Kansas 35, Arkansas 27 at halftime

Here’s more on Bill Self’s current situation.

Take a look at Arkansas getting ready

So far, there are no surprises in terms of who is available for Kansas