The Kansas Jayhawks are off to a rough start to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Head coach Bill Self and his team started the year ranked No. 19 in the nation. They might enter the third week of the season unranked after losing to both North Carolina and Duke. I know those are powerful squads; however, at 3-2, there are teams with better records at the moment. The good news is that Kansas has favorable opponents on the horizon.
The Players Era Championship begins next week in Las Vegas. This tournament is stacked with numerous elite squads. Kansas will play Notre Dame on Monday, followed by Syracuse on Tuesday. Syracuse has one of the top defenses in the country right now, as they are 4-0 to begin.
Other teams in the tournament include Tennessee, Baylor, St. John's, Iowa State, Creighton, Michigan, Gonzaga, Alabama, San Diego State, Oregon, Auburn, Rutgers, Maryland, UNLV, and, oh yeah, the No. 2 team in the country, Houston.
Kansas could play any one of those teams on either Wednesday or Thursday. The bad news for Kansas is that star player Darryn Peterson will miss this tournament in Las Vegas, according to Self.
“Bill Self on Darryn Peterson: ‘We're not gonna have Darryn in Vegas.' Adds that he's right there close and they're hopeful that he's running and cutting while they're in Vegas and back soon thereafter…”
Kansas has been extra cautious with Peterson since the season started. Peterson is one of the best players in the country, averaging 21.5 points per game in just two outings. He adds 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, shooting 60% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. There is nothing the freshman guard cannot do. The former 5-star recruit was the 2025 Naismith Prep Player of the Year and was a McDonald's All-American co-MVP.
