FAYETTEVILLE — John Calipari and Bill Self entered Friday having coached against each other 12 times throughout their careers.
And in the 13th matchup between the two Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees — albeit an exhibition that did not count toward either team’s record — Calipari’s first-year Arkansas men’s basketball team left a strong impression on Self.
Arkansas trailed for only 19 seconds during an 85-69 victory over Kansas, the preseason No. 1 team in The Associated Press poll. The Razorbacks led by as many as 20 points.
“I actually think this team is better than some of the ones he’s had at Kentucky,” Self said following the loss.