Kansas basketball’s fatal flaw that will cost it in Big 12 conference title race

The last time Bill Self had the eventual No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Kansas clinched the Big 12 regular season title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament with Andrew Wiggins leading the way in 2013-2014. Over a decade later, the Jayhawks seek better results in a similar position with superstar freshman Darryn Peterson.

Peterson has his concerns, but his athleticism, shot-creating ability and smooth finishing prowess are difficult to ignore on film. As much as fans want to criticize his availability, the 19-year-old looks like the best player in college basketball whenever he is on the court.

Peterson is Kansas’ most talented player, but it is almost a crapshoot whether he plays or not every time the Jayhawks walk out of the tunnel. The Canton, Ohio, native has appeared in only 13 of the team’s first 24 games and has left a few contests early due to injury management.

Peterson is Self’s biggest star, but the Jayhawks are a deep team without him. With a veteran lead guard in Melvin Council Jr. and a physical frontcourt, Kansas has all the pieces necessary to win another national title.

However, roster construction was never the issue for Kansas. The Jayhawks have struggled to remain consistent all season, which will hurt them in the ultra-competitive Big 12 Tournament.

Darryn Peterson’s injury woes have dominated headlines

No matter how much Bill Self denies it, Darryn Peterson’s constant cramping and injury woes will be the story of Kansas’ 2025-2026 college basketball season when it is all said and done. His status is all fans care to see before the game, and his availability, or lack thereof, is always the main talking point after the game, regardless of the result.

Peterson’s absences were overlooked at the start of the season, but they are a major concern in February. Aside from a six-game stretch at the beginning of January, Peterson has not played more than three consecutive games in his freshman season. That unreliability is a significant disturbance with just seven games remaining in the regular season before the Big 12 Tournament begins.

If there is one positive from Peterson’s injury woes, it is that Kansas has figured out how to play basketball without him. The veteran unit is substantially better when the elite scorer is on the floor, but the Jayhawks have beaten Tennessee and Arizona without him. They were also competitive against Duke and UConn despite their best player being inactive.

Although not ideal, Kansas has proven it is an elite team with or without Peterson. However, it has simultaneously struggled to establish a rhythm with Peterson bouncing in and out of the lineup, leading to disheartening losses to UCF and West Virginia.

Kansas is unsurprisingly better when Peterson plays, but the results are nearly the same with and without him in the lineup. The Jayhawks are 10-3 with the star freshman on the court and 9-2 without him.

If Kansas is going to win its first Big 12 Tournament since 2022, it needs Peterson to consistently remain in the lineup over the final month of the regular season.

Kansas lacks sustainable offense without Darryn Peterson

Kansas can win big games without Peterson, but it cannot do so consistently enough to succeed in either the Big 12 Tournament or the NCAA Tournament. Nobody in the country scores like Peterson, and Kansas’ offense can severely stall out without him.

Flory Bidunga is the Jayhawks’ leading scorer sans Peterson, averaging 14.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while shooting 68.6 percent from the floor. Yet, it is Council who runs the show with Peterson off the floor.

In Kansas’ two big victories without Peterson, both Council and Bidunga struggled from the floor, leading to gory shooting numbers saved by a high free-throw count.

Council went 6-for-17 and Bidunga went 5-for-15 against Tennessee, while 30 free throw attempts helped the Jayhawks escape with a five-point win over the then-No. 17 Volunteers. Likewise, Council went 6-for-25 against Arizona, but 25 trips to the charity stripe allowed Kansas to hand the Wildcats their first loss of the year.

As important as getting to the free-throw line is in tight games, no team can feel confident that strategy will consistently work against the best teams in the country.

Kansas’ success down the stretch does not simply boil down to Peterson playing games. The freshman phenom must remain consistently active to help the Jayhawks build stability and come out on top of the Big 12 Tournament gauntlet. They will not be able to compete in the top-heavy conference without it, putting Bill Self at risk of extending his conference title drought.

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