Kansas basketball is on another troubling trajectory after posting a 10-4 record through the first two months of the 2025-26 campaign. However, it is unfair to thoroughly evaluate the Jayhawks when they have been forced to play without their top guy for much of the season. Freshman phenom Darryn Peterson returned to action on Jan. 3 following his second lengthy injury stint, but he logged only 23 minutes in a road loss to UCF. There was some concern that the talented guard suffered a setback. Fans are getting some good news on Tuesday, though.
Peterson is in the starting lineup for the upcoming Big 12 clash with TCU (11-3), according to ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla. The 18-year-old will play consecutive games for the first time in three weeks. Kansas is a starkly different team when he is on the court, so this should greatly change how the Horned Frogs approach this game.
Peterson made the most of his abbreviated outing against UCF, scoring 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting to go with six rebounds and two blocks. Jayhawks head coach Bill Self could have used a larger sample size from the top-ranked recruit, but he knows how important a healthy Darryn Peterson will be for the long-term outlook of the campaign.
The potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is averaging 20.6 points, 4.2 boards, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block through five games, while also shooting 51.4 percent from the field and a scorching 44.4 percent from 3-point range. Peterson is living up to the hype when on the floor.
Now, Kansas just has to hope he stays on the floor. The Jayhawks and Horned Frogs square off at 9 p.m. ET in Allen Fieldhouse.
