Kansas Outlasts BYU in Star-Studded Showdown at Allen Fieldhouse
LAWRENCE - If you were anywhere near Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, you felt it. The buzz.
The electricity. The sense that something bigger than just another conference game was unfolding.
Officially, 15,300 fans packed the building, but it felt like even more. From the student section to the rafters, it was standing-room only - and for good reason.
This wasn’t just a top-15 Big 12 showdown between No. 14 Kansas and No.
13 BYU. This was a marquee moment in the college basketball season, headlined by two of the top NBA Draft prospects in the country: Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa.
Add in the presence of NBA front-office scouts, KU legends like Paul Pierce and the Morris twins, and a raucous home crowd, and you had the recipe for a classic.
And for a while, it delivered.
Kansas Starts Hot, Survives Late Surge
Kansas came out swinging, building a commanding 53-33 halftime lead behind a blistering shooting performance - 64.3% from the field and 9-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first half alone. It was a clinic. The Jayhawks led by as many as 21, and it looked like this one might be over early.
But BYU had other plans. The Cougars clawed their way back, cutting the deficit to just four points at 82-78 with under 90 seconds to play.
That’s when Melvin Council stepped up with a clutch mid-range jumper to push the lead back to six. On the next possession, BYU’s Richie Saunders - who had a monster night with 33 points and 10 rebounds - missed a three, and KU’s Jamari McDowell sealed it at the line with two free throws.
Final score: Kansas 90, BYU 82.
The win marks the Jayhawks’ fifth straight and moves them to 16-5 overall, 6-2 in Big 12 play. More importantly, it showed a team that’s finding its rhythm just as the conference race heats up.
Peterson vs. Dybantsa: A Glimpse of the Future
This game was billed as a showdown between two future lottery picks, and while we didn’t get the full 40-minute duel fans were hoping for, we saw enough to understand why NBA scouts were out in force.
Darryn Peterson, back from an ankle injury and still managing lingering cramping issues, played just 20 minutes - only three of those in the second half. But he made his presence felt early, scoring 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the first half and adding three steals.
He was dynamic, explosive, and in total control. Simply put, he looked like a pro.
AJ Dybantsa got off to a slower start. He didn’t score until the 7:22 mark of the first half and had just seven points with two turnovers at the break.
But he settled in after halftime, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Kansas primarily used Flory Bidunga - who had a strong game himself with 16 points, six rebounds, and two blocks - to defend Dybantsa, and the freshman big man held his own.
Peterson and Dybantsa didn’t share the floor much in the second half, but their brief head-to-head moments were electric. These are two players who’ve been linked since high school - they’ve faced off before, and they’ll almost certainly be linked again come draft night in 2026.
Bryson Tiller Steps Up
With Peterson limited, it was Bryson Tiller who carried the scoring load for Kansas. The freshman forward poured in 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds, showing poise and versatility in big moments. He hit timely shots, played with confidence, and gave Kansas the offensive boost it needed down the stretch.
Tiller’s emergence is a big development for a Jayhawks team that’s looking for consistent secondary scoring. With Peterson in and out of the lineup, Tiller’s ability to step into that role could be a difference-maker as Big 12 play continues.
A Milestone Night in the Phog
Saturday’s game also marked a historic milestone: the 1,000th official men’s basketball game played at Allen Fieldhouse - at least by KU’s count. (The school isn’t including the vacated games from 2018 due to NCAA penalties.) Fittingly, the Jayhawks celebrated it with a win in front of a packed house and a national spotlight.
Kansas Heating Up at the Right Time
It wasn’t long ago that Kansas fans were sweating a bit. A 1-2 start to Big 12 play and an 11-5 overall record had some wondering if this team was headed for a lower-than-usual NCAA Tournament seed. But since that loss to West Virginia, the Jayhawks have flipped the script.
Saturday marked the first time since January 10 that an opponent scored more than 70 points against them. The defense, which had looked shaky earlier this month, has tightened up.
Kansas forced 15 points off turnovers and made Dybantsa work for everything. BYU got a huge night from Saunders, but KU’s team defense was solid when it mattered most.
The Jayhawks are now 6-2 in league play and trending upward. They’ve rediscovered their identity - tough, disciplined, and dangerous on both ends - and they’re doing it just in time.
What’s Next
Kansas heads to Lubbock on Monday for a showdown with No. 11 Texas Tech - a game that could have major implications in the Big 12 standings. If the Jayhawks can keep this momentum rolling, they’ll continue to climb not just the conference ladder, but the national conversation as well.
For now, though, Saturday night in Lawrence was a reminder of what makes college basketball so special. A packed house.
Future pros on display. A game that tested every inch of Kansas’ resolve.
And in the end, another win for the Jayhawks in the building they’ve called home for 1,000 games and counting.