Fans won’t have to wait long to get another look at the Darryn Peterson-AJ Dybantsa matchup.
The two top prospects from last season’s college game are set to meet again in NBA Summer League on July 9th on ESPN, giving everyone another crack at a pairing that already produced one of the most watched showdowns of the year.
That college meeting came when No. 14 Kansas hosted No.
13 BYU at Allen Fieldhouse, and it had plenty of eyes on it from the start. Scouts and general managers from the Association tuned in to watch Peterson and Dybantsa go at it, with both players carrying massive draft buzz.
Peterson, who last week became Kansas’ first-ever No. 2 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, came out blazing in the first half.
By halftime, Kansas had built a 53-33 lead, and Peterson had already put together a statement performance. The freshman guard scored 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting, knocked down three threes, and added three steals. Dybantsa had a quieter opening stretch, posting seven points on 3-of-6 shooting with one rebound and one assist.
The second half flipped the script. Peterson played just a little more than three minutes after the break, while BYU steadily cut into the lead.
Richie Saunders wound up stealing the spotlight for the Cougars, finishing with 33 points. Dybantsa closed with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and spent 34:19 on the floor.
Peterson ended with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, but he logged nearly 14 fewer minutes than Dybantsa as Kansas held on for a 90-82 win.
That game, in a lot of ways, mirrored the arc of both players’ seasons. Dybantsa finished as the nation’s scoring leader at 25.5 points per game, adding 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 51% from the field over 35 games. His season ended in the NCAA Tournament first round, where Texas beat BYU 79-71.
Peterson’s year never settled into a clean rhythm. He finished with 20.2 points per game, along with 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 43.8% from the field.
But he appeared in only 24 of Kansas’ 34 games, and that inconsistency left his season hanging in the “what if?” category even though the talent was obvious whenever he was on the court.
Now he gets another shot at the guy who went No. 1. The draft order is already set, but July 9th gives Peterson and Dybantsa a new stage, and a new audience, for the next round of their showdown.
In Other News...
Kansas May Have Finally Fixed A Frontcourt Flaw That Loomed Large
Kansas did a lot of things well on the glass last season, finishing near the top in defensive rebounds, but the larger concern was always what happened behind the first line of big bodies. The Jayhawks have tried to address that by leaning into the transfer portal, adding Christian Reeves and Keanu Dawes with rebounding in mind while also giving freshman Tyran Stokes a path to help on the boards if he can translate his size and instincts quickly.
The bigger question now is whether that added depth turns a potential soft spot into a real strength, because Kansas does not want to be relying on just one or two frontcourt anchors again. Dawes brings a track record that suggests immediate help, Reeves is expected to be part of the answer once he settles in, and Stokes remains the kind of wild card who could matter sooner than expected if the rebounding race opens up for him. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas May Have Finally Fixed A Problem That Held Back Its Offense
Kansas football went into the offseason knowing the passing game needed help, and it wasted little time addressing the issue. With Emmanuel Henderson Jr. off to the NFL, the Jayhawks added experience through the transfer portal and brought in Nik McMillian from Buffalo and Nahzae Cox from Middle Tennessee, while veteran Cam Pickett returns to help anchor a receiver room that also includes younger players fighting for snaps.
The deeper question is whether that renovated group can give Kansas a steadier downfield identity in 2026. Pickett is expected to lead the way, and the new faces give the staff more proven options than it had a year ago, but the ceiling of the offense still depends on how the receiving corps meshes with an unsettled quarterback competition that remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Darryn Peterson Kept His KU Number And Fans Will Wonder How
The number on Darryn Petersons back will look familiar to anyone who followed him through college and high school, and now it is carrying with it a fresh start in Salt Lake City. After the Utah Jazz took him second overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, Peterson was formally introduced and spent part of the afternoon talking through the move, his early impressions of Utah and the little off-court details that come with a first big league moment.
What still lingers, though, is the part fans always notice when a prized rookie keeps a beloved number: how it all got worked out. Peterson said he did not go into the specifics of the jersey swap, even as the roster shuffle around him starts to take shape, and that leaves one small piece of the story hanging in the air as he settles in with his new puppy, Denim, and starts looking around at his new surroundings. [Read more 🡒]