FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas begins the John Calipari Era Friday night when the Razorbacks play host to No. 1 Kansas for a benefit basketball game.

The game starts at 8 p.m. and will be televised on the SEC Network. Calipari came to Arkansas following 2023-24 season from Kentucky. Associate Head Coach Kenny Payne previewed the game on Thursday.

" First of all, I want to thank CareSource for the sponsorship and their work with the mental health field that they've been doing," Payne said. "An invaluable thing that they're doing for us. This Arkansas and Kansas game, this exhibition game, the proceeds of this, we're donating to children's hospital, which is a really big deal when you have two major programs coming together. We're donating all the proceeds to young people, really says a lot about both programs, both coaches. We're very excited. 

"It's the start of the season and when I look outside the door out the window right now, I see kids camping out and getting their campsites ready and and all of that. It lets you know that it's basketball season and it’s an exciting time. They’re camping out now, and the game is tomorrow night at eight o'clock, so that says a lot. Also we're going to go this evening… We're going to take the players and coach Cal and a few of the coaching staffs are going to go and feed the kids pizzas and give them pizzas for doing this. It's great support for them to support us like this and we got to show our appreciation."

Arkansas isn't exactly entering this game full strength though Payne declined to say who was injured.

"I just think it's what John Calipari brings to the table," Payne said. "The excitement, the recognition, not just regionally, but all over the country, everybody's gonna be watching. To see this environment and to see how people are excited about this basketball team even though we're a little beat up. We're coming out here and we're playing this exhibition game and the guys want to win. Even though we may be limited in numbers for right now, but we're gonna get after it."

Payne once again was asked who is banged up?

"I don't know exactly yet," Payne said. "The medical staff will help us with that, but the guys are getting better every day. They're getting better. But we have been down. We’ve had a few weeks of having five guys practice. So that's tough."

Payne feels it's very beneficial to play a game like this before the regular season.

"Well, if I’m not mistaken, Kansas is the No. 1 team in the country," Payne said. "I think that the atmosphere, the type of team that you’re playing and it doesn’t count, even if we lose we’ll still be undefeated… But what is it shows our young guys, it shows some of our veterans, just how important it is that you be ready to play because you’re not just playing against a regular team that you’re supposed to beat. You’re playing against a team that’s one of the best in the country, and so our learning curve is going to have to be fast, and this accelerates that. We’ll know exactly what we need to do from here on out. We use this term, this statement a lot in the program, win to learn. Early in the season, that’s what it is. Win to learn."

Calipari and Kansas' Bill Self opted to play the game in quarters instead of two halves.

"Great question," Payne said. "I think when Coach Self and Cal got together and talked, they talked about being prepared for situations, and by going to quarters, you get an opportunity to touch on different situations in the course of a game. It allows you to have multiple of those situations opposed to just playing straight out and you get a 20-minute half. Now you get quarters and more opportunities to touch on different situations."

Payne was asked his expectations for this team and roster?

"I think the first thing is for everybody to really understand that we’re building a culture," Payne said. "We’re not walking in with a culture already established. We got new players that are joining from different situations, that are joining us and we’re teaching. So, basically when I say that, this is a process. Every team that Coach Cal has coached over the X amount of years, there’s been a common denominator. The team gets better in January, February, March. So, we have to approach this with that in mind, knowing that we’re teaching guys who have all been stars in their own right. Now we’re teaching them to buy into each other, and that’s hard to do. If you’ve been the star on one team, shot all the balls and another guy and you’ve got five guys that have all had success being stars, how do you get them to buy into what you’re doing? Well, the first thing is, they have to respect each other. 

"We have to teach them about respect, we have to teach them about the importance of being a unit, the importance of, if one person lets us down, then we all fail. So, we’re teaching that and that’s a process and that’s going to take time. The great thing about this is we have talented kids that listen to us. We have high-character kids that want to do the right thing and Coach (Cal) is doing a great job of really pushing these kids and especially with the guys that we have out, it’s allowed the freshmen to really get time on the court and practice. So, as this year goes on, to answer your question simply, January, February, we’ll know exactly what we are."