Saturday night at Allen Fieldhouse isn’t just another marquee matchup-it’s shaping up to be a historic one. For the first time ever, the projected No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the NBA Draft are set to share the same floor at James Naismith Court. If projections hold, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa will go head-to-head in a clash that’s as much about future NBA stardom as it is about college basketball bragging rights.
But don’t let the draft buzz fool you-this isn’t just a showcase for two elite prospects. It’s a top-15 showdown between No.
14 Kansas and No. 13 BYU, two teams with legitimate conference title aspirations and deep, dangerous rosters.
The energy around this one is already electric. ESPN’s College GameDay will be broadcasting live from Lawrence in the morning, and by tipoff, Allen Fieldhouse will be packed with students, fans, NBA scouts, and even Jayhawks legend Paul Pierce.
Yes, all eyes will be on the Peterson-Dybantsa matchup, especially after their last meeting turned into a scoring spectacle-Peterson dropped 58, including a game-winner, while Dybantsa poured in 49 of his own. But Kansas head coach Bill Self isn’t getting caught up in the one-on-one hype. He’s locked in on the bigger picture.
“We made that point many times in the past,” Self said. “I'm sure they would say the same thing about us, too.
The objective of the day is to try to win the game. That's the only thing I'm thinking about, and that's all the players should be thinking about as well.”
Translation: This isn’t a duel, it’s a battle. And BYU brings more than just Dybantsa to the fight.
Self emphasized that Kansas can’t afford to zero in on one player. BYU’s offensive firepower runs deeper than just their star wing.
“The emphasis cannot be stopping one guy,” Self said. “We got to figure out a way to slow down and keep BYU out of rhythm as a group, not just one person.”
He’s not wrong. BYU isn’t a one-man show-they’re a three-headed scoring monster.
Alongside Dybantsa, the Cougars feature Richie Saunders, who’s putting up 18.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game in conference play. Kansas fans might remember him well-he dropped 22 on the Jayhawks last season in a 34-point BYU win.
Then there’s Robert Wright III, a sharpshooting guard averaging 17.5 points and 5.2 assists per game while hitting 43% from deep. Together, they form one of the most potent trios in the country.
So yes, Dybantsa is a problem. But he’s not the problem. That’s the message Self is drilling into his team.
“I don't think you put all your attention on one guy,” Self said. “Those other guys are more than capable of getting 25 or 30 any night.
Let's call it like it is. We got to guard their team.
Our emphasis will be on trying to slow down those three, knowing that there's another guy in the starting lineup that made five threes in a half recently.”
Inside the locker room, that team-first mentality is resonating. Kansas big man Flory Bidunga echoed his coach’s mindset when he spoke to the media Thursday.
“We play for the [name] in front of our chest, not back,” Bidunga said. “He's always been saying that.
We knew it was Kansas against BYU. It's not just guard one player and then let the other ones figure it out.
No, I feel like we need to do a team effort to stop them.”
That team effort will be put to the test against a BYU squad that’s averaging over 80 points per game and can light it up from all over the floor. Kansas will need to bring their A-game defensively, especially in transition and on the perimeter, where BYU thrives. The Jayhawks have the personnel to do it-but it’s going to take discipline, communication, and a full 40-minute grind.
So while the headlines might scream “Peterson vs. Dybantsa,” the game itself will be decided by depth, execution, and which team can impose its will when it matters most. For Kansas, that means trusting in their system, playing connected defense, and remembering what’s at stake.
Because in a game like this-where NBA futures collide with college basketball tradition-the margin for error is razor-thin. And the team that treats it like more than a two-man show? That’s the team most likely to walk out of Allen with a signature win.