The Kansas basketball team picked up a tremendous win on Monday, over undefeated and no. 1 ranked Arizona. The win kept an insane streak going for the Jayhawks, who won without star freshman Darryn Peterson.
Kansas' victory was the 39th consecutive Big Monday win at home for Kansas coach Bill Self, per The Sporting News.
The win was perhaps even more impressive considering Kansas didn't have Peterson, who many NBA analysts think could be the no. 1 2026 NBA Draft pick. Peterson was dealing with flu-like symptoms, and was a late scratch.
“I went into the training room, he's in there trying, and I said, ‘Can you?' and he said, ‘Coach, I don't think I can,'” Self said, per ESPN. “And to be honest with you, I would probably rather him not play if he couldn't contribute, just because we'd spend 20 minutes trying to get him shots or whatever, and if he doesn't feel it, then I would much rather do it the way that it happened. So, he tried, but he just couldn't get there.”
The Jayhawks improved to 19-5 on the season with the victory.
Kansas is on a hot-streak right now
Kansas has now won eight games in a row after defeating Arizona on Monday. The Jayhawks got a huge performance from big man Flory Bidunga, who finished the game with 23 points.
“We still have a job to do. We still have to compete,” Bidunga said postgame. “We've played some games without [Peterson]. And that made us strong. Even though he wasn't there — I mean, we wish he was there for the game — but unfortunately, he wasn't. But we still have a job to do, and we did pretty good.”
Kansas got the tip of the cap from Arizona's head coach, Tommy Lloyd.
“Guys, Kansas is 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. They did a hell of a job, and their coach did a hell of a job. That should be the story.”
Kansas next plays Iowa State on Saturday.
