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Kansas’ Dickinson is out against Arkansas and was scheduled to practice this weekend
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Kansas’ Dickinson is out against Arkansas and was scheduled to practice this weekend

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Although Kansas star Hunter Dickinson will miss Friday’s charity tournament against No. 16 Arkansas because of a foot injury, Jayhawks coach Bill Self told ESPN that he is not worried the injury will impact the program long-term.

Self said Dickinson, the 7-foot AP preseason All-American who averaged 17.9 points last season, joined No. 1 Kansas at last Friday’s Late Night in the Phog event sustained a foot injury. He stayed away from practice on Thursday, but Self said he is expected to practice again this weekend.

Transfer players Rylan Griffen (Alabama) and Shakeel Moore (Mississippi State) are also expected to miss Friday’s tournament due to injuries but are expected to return to practice this weekend. Self said he is confident all three players will be available for Tuesday’s matchup against Washburn.

“We’re not going to be nearly as good offensively (without them against Arkansas),” Self told ESPN after the team’s practice on Thursday.

Kansas opens its regular season on November 4 against Howard.

Arkansas also likely will be shorthanded, as coach John Calipari told reporters this week that the team will be without several key players on Friday.

Calipari tweeted Thursday that both he and Self decided to play quarters in the sold-out exhibition so they could work on “situational options” that could help both teams.

“We’re looking forward to an incredible atmosphere tomorrow night at Bud Walton Arena!” Calipari tweeted. “I can’t wait to leave the (team’s) home tunnel for the first time! Let’s do this!”

The Razorbacks will donate proceeds from the game to Arkansas Children’s Hospitals. Kansas will donate its proceeds to the Fore The Kids Foundation.

During the offseason, Self added several players to his roster to bolster his roster, which was a challenge for the Jayhawks last season. Self said he wanted to see how his team responded to Friday’s atmosphere with more than 19,000 fans at Bud Walton Arena.

“I think (we’ll learn) how the guys deal with adversity,” Dickinson told ESPN. “Every team is different. Obviously with a new team this year, we don’t know what to expect if things start to shake out. And I think this will be a good test for us. I think that’s why Coach Self lined up the game because it’s a tough opponent on the road in a hostile environment.”

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