Kansas head coach Bill Self expects standout freshman Darryn Peterson to be back in action this Saturday when the Jayhawks face BYU, following a one-game absence due to an ankle sprain. Peterson missed last weekend’s rivalry win over Kansas State after tweaking his ankle late in the game against Colorado. That marked his 10th missed game of the season - a frustrating stop-and-start campaign for one of the most electric young guards in the country.
The Jayhawks had a rare midweek break thanks to their lone bye in Big 12 play, giving Peterson a few extra days to recover. Kansas practiced Monday and Tuesday before taking Wednesday off, and on Thursday, just ahead of practice, Self gave a promising update.
“I expect him to,” Self said when asked if Peterson would suit up against BYU. “I haven’t seen him in person since Tuesday... but I anticipate him being ready to go.”
When Peterson plays, Kansas is 7-3. When he doesn’t, they’re 8-2.
That’s a quirky stat line that doesn’t tell the full story - because when he’s healthy and on the floor, Peterson changes the dynamic of this team. He played in the first six Big 12 games of the season, and the Jayhawks hit their stride during that stretch, winning three straight conference matchups with him in the lineup.
That run included a statement win over then-No. 2 Iowa State, followed by convincing victories over Baylor and Colorado.
Those games marked the first time we got a real glimpse of what Kansas looks like with Peterson fully integrated - and the results were encouraging. Self pointed to those performances as signs the team is starting to click when Peterson is part of the rotation.
“I thought the other four were aggressive when Darryn was in the game,” Self said. “There have been times when we weren’t aggressive when he was in, and he was the one being aggressive.
And other times, he’s not as aggressive because the other four are playing well. So we’ve just got to figure it out - and we will.”
That’s the balancing act for a young team with a rising star. Peterson’s presence on the floor demands attention - from defenders and teammates alike.
But as Self noted, it’s tough to be at your best when you’re not fully healthy. He hinted that we haven’t yet seen the best version of Peterson in a Kansas uniform - and that’s a tantalizing thought.
“We’ve seen glimpses, but we haven’t seen an extended period of time where he was whole, either,” Self added. “So that’s also exciting - that we still got that in front of us.”
Saturday’s matchup brings a little extra spice. Peterson will go head-to-head with BYU’s AJ Dybantsa - the only player ranked ahead of him in the 2025 recruiting class.
The two were the consensus No. 1 and No. 2 players coming out of high school, and both are already being talked about as top-three picks in next year’s NBA Draft. This won’t just be a Big 12 showdown - it’s a spotlight game for two of the brightest young stars in college basketball.
In his 10 appearances this season, Peterson has been as advertised: 21.6 points per game on 49.3% shooting from the field and a scorching 42% from beyond the arc. He’s also averaging 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and a steal per game in just over 27 minutes of action. Those numbers are impressive on their own, but they become even more meaningful when you consider he’s still working his way into full rhythm.
If Peterson is indeed back at full strength Saturday, Kansas fans might finally get to see what this team looks like with all the pieces in place. And if the Jayhawks can build on the momentum they had before his injury, they could be gearing up for a serious run in the second half of Big 12 play.