Hailed as two of the best transfer portal pickups last offseason, Arkansas center Jonas Aidoo and guard Johnell Davis lived up to the hype in the Razorbacks' first-round NCAA Tournament win Thursday over the Kansas Jayhawks in Providence, Rhode Island.
Matched up against Big 12 First-Team All-Conference big man Hunter Dickinson, Aidoo led the Hogs at halftime with 16 points, two rebounds, three blocks and an assist. Davis poured in eight points (including two threes) with three boards and one assist.
“Just getting to my spots," Aidoo said postgame. "Everybody looking for me. I tell (my teammates) I want the ball and they give me the ball, I just execute that. Just practicing with these guys and communicating, how we know to play with each other is just the best thing for us."
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Aidoo's and Davis' efforts helped Arkansas shoot a blistering 19-of-35 (54.3%) from the field in the first 20 minutes to take a 47-44 lead over the Jayhawks at the break.
Arkansas' three-point lead grew to 10 in the second half behind a 7-0 run led by Aidoo and Davis, with the latter's triple forcing an early timeout at the 17:42 minute mark by Kansas coach Bill Self.
Then, with the Jayhawks coming off a made three and a defensive stop, Davis swiped at Kansas guard Zeke Mayo's ball-handle, which forced Mayo to lose control and let the ball go out of bounds for a turnover.
Kansas made a run of its own throughout the course of the final 20 minutes, even taking a three-point lead with under five minutes to go, but Davis' key three-pointer and four made free throws sunk the Jayhawks down the stretch.
Davis ended the game with 18 points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist, and was 4-of-9 from beyond the arc with only one turnover.
"I heard in the background, just say 'Shoot it!' and I just shot it with confidence and it went in," Davis said after the game about his late three-point make.
What helped close the game out for Arkansas was Aidoo's masterful defense against Dickinson, who only managed 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting with four turnovers. In contrast, Aidoo turned in a season-best 22 points with five boards, three blocks and three steals.
This is Aidoo's fourth NCAA Tournament showing, as he participated in three postseason events with the Tennessee Volunteers from 2021-24.
“(My NCAA Tournament experience is) very important," Aidoo said. "Last year, the year before. I felt like I had an impact and then later on I kind of drifted away. So, I feel like I have a lot to still improve and still have a lot left in the tank. Still a big chip on my shoulder.”
Up next, the Hoop Hogs will face the winner between 2-seed St. Johns and 15-seed Omaha in the Round of 32. Be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for more coverage of the Razorbacks.
