As 2025 winds to a close and the calendar flips to January, the No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks are shifting their full attention to what really matters: Big 12 play.
The road ahead won’t be easy - not with No. 8 Houston looming as the two-time defending regular-season champ - but Kansas has shown enough flashes to suggest they’re very much in the mix.
One of the biggest storylines surrounding this Jayhawks squad has been the health of Darryn Peterson. The former five-star guard - and a projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft - has had a rocky start to his college career, with injuries interrupting his rhythm and limiting his availability. But even with Peterson in and out of the lineup, Kansas has managed to post a solid 10-3 record heading into conference play.
Their three losses? All came against ranked opponents.
The Jayhawks dropped an 87-74 decision to No. 25 UNC, and then fell to No.
5 Duke (78-66) and No. 5 UConn (61-56).
Notably, Peterson missed both of those latter matchups - and while there’s no guarantee his presence would’ve flipped the result, it’s hard to imagine a player of his caliber not making at least some difference.
Head coach Bill Self offered a candid midseason assessment of his team’s performance so far.
“If you look at the record before the season started, I would probably say a B,” Self said. “If you look at it, that we played it without DP, I'd say probably a B+. I think the guys got better.”
He’s not wrong. The loss to Duke, for instance, was a tight one until the final minutes - Kansas trailed just 67-64 before the Blue Devils pulled away late.
Against UConn, the Jayhawks were down just one, 55-54, with under five minutes to play before the offense stalled again. Both games were within reach, but Kansas couldn’t close the door.
Peterson’s absence certainly loomed large, but he’s not the only factor. Kansas’ bench production has been a concern, especially in those two losses.
The Jayhawks’ reserves were outscored 37-18 combined in the Duke and UConn games - a gap that’s hard to overcome when margins are that tight. Even modest improvements off the bench could’ve changed the complexion of those contests.
Another area that’s raised eyebrows is Kansas’ inconsistent scoring output. The Jayhawks are averaging 75.8 points per game - good for 159th nationally.
That’s not where you’d expect a top-20 team to be. The shooting percentages, however, tell a slightly more encouraging story.
Kansas is hitting 46.8% from the field, which ranks 91st in the country. So while they’re not lighting up the scoreboard, they’re converting at a decent clip when they do get looks.
But make no mistake - this team’s calling card so far has been its defense.
Kansas is allowing just 63.3 points per game, which ranks 11th in the nation. Opponents are shooting a frigid 36.6% from the field against them - the fourth-lowest mark in college basketball. That kind of defensive pressure travels, and it’s a big reason why the Jayhawks have weathered early injuries and inconsistent offense to stay competitive.
Now comes the real test. Kansas opens Big 12 play on January 3rd against UCF, with tipoff set for 1 p.m.
CT on Peacock. It’s the first step in what promises to be a grueling conference slate, but if Peterson can stay healthy - and if the bench finds its footing - this Jayhawks team has the tools to make a serious run.
The pieces are there. Now it’s about putting it all together.