Kansas vs. BYU was billed as a generational prospect duel between presumptive top 2026 NBA Draft picks Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa. Instead gave way to recurring plot lines that have defined each team’s season.
No. 14 Kansas, celebrating the 1,000th game at Allen Fieldhouse, emerged with a 90-82 victory over No. 13 BYU — but it was far from a perfect night. The eye-popping Peterson was an unguardable phenomenon in the first half, looking every bit the No. 1 prospect, before sitting out most of the second half with leg cramps. Injuries and ailments have unfortunately been the story of Peterson’s one and only season in Lawrence; Peterson has been splendid in the games he’s played, but he’s missed 10 games and long chunks of all 11 contests he’s suited up for.
BYU, meanwhile, was obliterated in the first half, but in part because of Peterson’s absence, the Cougars again roared in the second half, like they did against UConn in November, against Clemson in December and at Arizona last Monday. Comeback attempts are compelling, but BYU is 1-3 in the games we just listed (only beating Clemson).
Peterson and Dybantsa didn’t have a chance to go blow-for-blow in crunch time, but lessons were still learned. Let’s dive into the top takeaways.
Michigan uses big second-half rally to beat Michigan State for first time in Breslin Center since 2018
Cameron Salerno
Kansas’ depth is starting to round into form
If the basketball gods are kind and Peterson is allowed to ever play a full game, Kansas has the supporting cast in order to do some serious damage. Redshirt freshman Bryson Tiller has been outstanding and this was his best showing yet. The big, physical forward delivered 21 points, seven rebounds and a block to propel KU to its 16th victory of the season.
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Tiller in conference play, but he’s rounding into serious form. He’s all of 6-foot-11, so Kansas’ interior defense is a fortress when he’s on the floor next to the lean, mean, shot-blocking machine that is Bidunga. But Tiller made BYU’s defense pay for swarming the paint and leaving him open. He confidently splashed three triples after downright refusing to shoot 3-pointers for long stretches in January. That proved to be the difference in the game, and changes the complexion of this Kansas club in March.
The Peterson-Tiller-Melvin Council-Tre White-Flory Bidunga lineup has terrific positional size at all five spots with tons of talent. It gave BYU fits, and Good Tiller transforms Kansas into a terrifying March draw.
With the victory the Jayhawks are expected to move up from a No. 4 seed to a No. 3 seed when the CBS Sports Bracketology model is updated Sunday. BYU is expected to remain a No. 4 seed in the latest bracket projection.
Council adds to his burgeoning Kansas lore
No transfer has changed the tenor of a team quite like Kansas’ Council, the spindly guard from Rochester who last played at St. Bonaventure. The raucous student section barks at his beck and call. When Kansas was teetering without Peterson in the second half, it was Council who had an in-your-eyehole trey, a steal and a layup, and a late-game, pull-up jumper from the elbow to stem the tide once and for all.
Council totaled 15 points, six rebounds, six dimes and just one turnover.
Council is beloved by this program, and he’s wrapped his arms around them just as tightly.
Peterson is the best player on this team. Bidunga is the Defensive Player of the Year on this club. Council is the soul.
Inside Self’s latest magic trick
Kansas chose to sic Bidunga — its starting center — on Dybantsa. The move worked brilliantly. Dybantsa balked a bit at the early assignment, almost like he was caught off guard a bit at the idea that a center, not a wing, was the choice to shadow him.
Dybantsa attempted just two shots in the first 12+ minutes of regulation. By that point, BYU was already in a 20-point hole. As you’d expect, the brilliant Dybantsa got it going in the second half and finished with 17 points. But Bidunga’s length and athleticism certainly gave him problems whenever they got matched up one-on-one.
Saunders stars for BYU in losing effort
It’s unfortunate that it came in a loss, but that was an absurd showing from Saunders. The veteran BYU guard erupted for 33 points — 24 in the second half — to breathe life into BYU. Saunders’ barrage of off-movement treys, slice-and-dice cuts, relentless offensive rebounding and all-out hustle should be a valuable lesson that sticks in the brains of the dozens of NBA decision-makers that crammed into Allen Fieldhouse for the Dybantsa-Peterson show.
Thirty-three points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one block on that type of stage? Saunders just guaranteed his spot in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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