Kansas Is Back in the Title Picture - and Darryn Peterson Is the Reason Why
Kansas basketball might not be sitting atop the national rankings, but make no mistake - the Jayhawks are very much a threat to cut down the nets this March. And the biggest reason? A freshman who’s already playing like a future lottery pick.
Darryn Peterson has arrived.
The 6-foot-6 guard has battled through a handful of injuries this season, from nagging cramps to ankle issues that have kept him off the floor at times. But when he’s healthy - and right now, he is - Kansas looks every bit like a national title contender again.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t the same Big 12 that Bill Self used to dominate like clockwork. With Houston, Arizona, and BYU now in the mix, the conference gauntlet is deeper than ever.
The days of the Big 12 tournament feeling like the “Bill Self Invitational” are gone. And since winning it all in 2022, Kansas hasn’t made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
For a program with four national titles and a Hall of Fame coach with over 800 career wins, that’s a drought.
But overlooking this Kansas team? That would be a mistake.
The Numbers Don’t Lie - Kansas Is Climbing
At 17-5 overall and 7-2 in conference play, Kansas is keeping pace with the best in the Big 12. They’re currently riding a six-game win streak, capped by Monday night’s gritty win over No.
13 Texas Tech. And they’re doing it with balance: ranked 12th in KenPom, eighth in defensive efficiency, and 32nd on offense.
That defense is anchored by a frontcourt duo that’s been quietly dominant. Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller have developed into a high-level rim-protecting tandem, helping Kansas post a block rate in the 99th percentile nationally. They’re long, active, and disruptive - the kind of guys who make you think twice before attacking the paint.
Meanwhile, Melvin Council Jr. has stepped up as the team’s pace-pushing point guard, and Tre White has emerged as a versatile wing scorer. In Peterson’s absence, this group figured out how to win. Now that he’s back, they’re figuring out how to win big.
Peterson’s Impact Is Unmistakable
When Peterson is on the floor, Kansas’s offense takes a noticeable leap. Without him, the Jayhawks still manage a solid +14.8 net rating, leaning heavily on their defense and efficient rim attacks.
But with Peterson? That number jumps to +16.8 - thanks largely to an offense that becomes far more dynamic.
Kansas’s effective field goal percentage rises from a respectable 53.1% (68th percentile) to an elite 56.7% (92nd percentile) when Peterson plays. That’s not just a bump - that’s a transformation.
And it’s not just about his individual scoring. Peterson changes the geometry of the floor.
Defenders can’t guard him one-on-one, so they collapse into the lane, opening up corner threes. Kansas’s shooting from that spot jumps from 25.4% on 5.0 attempts per 40 minutes to 42.6% on 5.7 attempts.
That’s not a coincidence - that’s Peterson’s gravity at work.
He draws help, kicks out to shooters, and if the defense overcommits, guys like Tiller and Bidunga are ready to punish them on the short roll. It’s a well-oiled machine - and Peterson is the engine.
The Best Scoring Guard in College Hoops?
Peterson isn’t just putting up big numbers - he’s doing it with remarkable efficiency. His usage rate sits at 34.7%, the highest among all Power Conference players. That kind of workload usually comes with a dip in efficiency, but not for Peterson.
Among high-usage players (30%+ usage rate) in the Power 6 conferences, only Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Miami’s Malik Reneau boast a better effective field goal percentage. And among players 6-foot-6 or shorter, the next closest in usage and efficiency is Oklahoma State’s Anthony Roy - who trails Peterson by nearly 10 percentage points in usage.
Translation: he’s not just the best high-volume scoring guard in the country - he’s in a tier of his own.
A Team Built for March
Bill Self knew what he was doing when he built this roster. It’s a team designed to support a ball-dominant star, and now that Peterson is back, the blueprint is coming to life.
On Saturday, Peterson dropped 18 points in just 20 minutes before being sidelined in the second half against fellow freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa. Then came Monday - crunch time against Texas Tech - and Peterson delivered again, drilling the game-tying and game-winning threes to seal a statement win.
That’s what stars do. That’s what March heroes are made of.
Kansas has the defense. They’ve got the depth. And now, with a healthy Darryn Peterson, they’ve got the kind of offensive firepower that can carry them deep into the tournament.
So yes, maybe Kansas has flown under the radar for much of the season. But if Peterson stays on the floor, they won’t be under the radar much longer.
Because when Kansas has Darryn Peterson, they’re not just hard to beat - they’re built to win it all.