LAWRENCE, Kan. — Playing without freshman star Darryn Peterson for the 11th time this season, Kansas still found a way Monday night.
No. 9 Kansas erased an early deficit and rallied past No. 1 Arizona, 82-78, inside Allen Fieldhouse, improving to 40-0 in Big Monday home games under Bill Self and handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season.
Arizona jumped out to a 6-0 lead, prompting a timeout from Self just 1:35 into the game. For a moment, it looked as if Kansas might be in for a long night without its leading freshman.
Instead, the building took over.
In a familiar script for Big 12 opponents, Allen Fieldhouse roared to life and helped will the Jayhawks to a double-digit second-half comeback.
“They took ownership of making sure we didn’t get tired,” Self said of the crowd. “It’s hard to get tired when that crowd’s like that. There’s a lot of great crowds out there … but I can guarantee you there’s no place better than this place.”
Peterson’s absence loomed before tipoff. He warmed up before the team announced he was out with flu-like symptoms.
“We don’t know if it’s the flu — it’s flu-like symptoms, at least that’s what I’ve been told,” Self said. “He didn’t practice yesterday, but we were hoping he could play today. He came out for shootaround and wasn’t able to go. We didn’t know until probably 7 or 7:30 that he probably wasn’t going to be able to go. But we knew it was 50-50 yesterday that he may not be able to play.”
Kansas (19-5, 9-2 Big 12) has now played 11 games without Peterson, though the freshman had been expected to return before being ruled out shortly before tipoff. Even without him, the players available — and the Hall of Fame coach guiding them — were more than enough.
Sophomore Flory Bidunga continued his emergence as one of the nation’s premier two-way big men, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Freshman forward Bryson Tiller added 18 points and eight rebounds, and senior guard Melvin Council Jr. produced 23 points and six assists while playing all 40 minutes.
Council’s stat line hardly told the full story. Though he shot just 6 of 25 from the field, his relentless drives wore down Arizona late and helped Kansas match a bigger front line on the glass.
“Melvin Council — how can you have a bad day when you’re around him?” Self said. “He’s put his handprint on this place as much as anybody possibly could in the short amount of time he’s been here. He owns this place. He’s as popular as any kid that we’ve ever had play here.”
While Kansas thrived without Peterson, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd dismissed any notion that the result should be framed around who wasn’t available.
“Kansas has a hell of a team,” Lloyd said. “Let’s not make this about Darryn Peterson. He didn’t play because he was sick. They beat the No. 1 team in the country at home tonight. They did a hell of a job, and their coach did a hell of a job. That should be the story.”
Kansas’ eight-game winning streak has pushed the Jayhawks into the thick of the national title conversation and marked their most consistent stretch since their 2022 championship run.
Bidunga’s development has been central to that surge.
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (14 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks) dominated stretches of the first half, helping the Wildcats control the paint early. After Tiller scored 14 first-half points to keep Kansas within striking distance, Bidunga flipped the interior battle after halftime.
“He’s gotten so much better,” Self said of Bidunga. “Offensively, he’s gotten better, but just the defensive presence. Whether it showed up in blocked shots or not, they knew he was around, and that makes a big difference.”
Despite the loss, Arizona (undefeated entering Monday) still showed why it sits atop the national rankings. Its frontcourt depth remains one of the most imposing in the country, and freshman Brayden Burries delivered a game-high 25 points while hitting several timely shots. Senior guard Jaden Bradley struggled but remains a key piece moving forward.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Lloyd said. “I’m not mad we lost. I can’t wait to get on that plane, get back home, and I feel like our season just started.”
Next, Kansas travels to Ames on Saturday to face No. 5 Iowa State, which will be seeking revenge after a 21-point loss in Lawrence earlier this season that sparked the Jayhawks’ current run.
How much Kansas can rely on Peterson remains uncertain, but Monday’s win reinforced that the Jayhawks are learning how to operate without him.
“The one thing about Darryn that’s been positive is we have played without him, and we’ve actually been more aggressive individually a lot of times when he was not in the game,” Self said. “We’re not as good, but we are more aggressive.”
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