Darryn Peterson is starting to look like the player Kansas fans have been waiting for. After a bumpy start to his college career-thanks to nagging hamstring issues and mid-game cramping-the former five-star guard is finally showing signs of hitting his stride. And when he’s on, he’s electric.
Peterson’s breakout moment came in Kansas’ first conference win, a wild 104-100 overtime thriller against TCU. He dropped 32 points that night, flashing the elite scoring ability that made him a top prospect out of Prolific Prep.
That performance seemed to kickstart a strong run: 23, 16, 26, and 16 points in the next four games. But just as he was building momentum, another setback hit-this time a sprained ankle in a 75-69 win over Colorado.
The injury kept him out of the Sunflower Showdown, which Kansas still managed to win without him.
But let’s rewind to what might be the most jaw-dropping performance of Peterson’s young career so far: 26 points in just 23 minutes against Baylor. He went 11-for-13 from the field that night, and it wasn’t just the numbers-it was how he got them.
Smooth, efficient, and completely in rhythm. That kind of offensive explosion in Allen Fieldhouse doesn’t just happen-it gets remembered.
Kansas head coach Bill Self certainly won’t forget it anytime soon. Speaking on Jon Rothstein’s Inside College Basketball Now podcast, Self didn’t hold back on the praise.
“It was the closest thing to [Kevin] Durant that I’ve seen,” he said, referencing Durant’s legendary 26-point first half in Allen Fieldhouse back in his Texas days. “I had pros, lottery picks, saying, ‘man, I can’t guard him,’ and we couldn’t.”
That’s not just coach-speak. Self emphasized that Peterson wasn’t forcing anything-he was letting the game come to him.
“He can go get his own, you know, inside the arc as well as anybody I’ve ever coached,” Self added. That’s high praise from a coach who’s worked with plenty of NBA talent over the years.
Now, with Kansas set to face No. 13 BYU this Saturday, all eyes are on Peterson’s return.
If he’s healthy, he could be a game-changer once again. The matchup would mark just his third appearance this season against a ranked opponent, and his track record in those games is promising.
In Kansas’ early-season loss to then-No. 25 North Carolina, Peterson put up 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Later, in a dominant 84-63 win over No. 2 Iowa State, he added 16 points in 27 minutes.
Those aren’t just solid numbers-they’re the kind of performances that show he belongs on the big stage.
Tipoff against BYU is set for 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, with streaming available on ESPN.
If Peterson is back at full strength, Kansas could be getting a major boost at just the right time. And if he looks anything like the player who torched Baylor, the Cougars better be ready.