Kansas star Darryn Peterson made his Big Dance debut during the No. 4 Jayhawks’ 68-60 win over the No. 13 California Baptist Lancers on Friday evening. Peterson’s debut in the showcase event was highly anticipated, as the Jayhawks standout is one of the favorites to be selected No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft later this year.
After overcoming the persistent injury problems that have dogged him this season, how did Peterson perform in his March Madness bow?
Darryn Peterson’s Stats in His March Madness Debut
Peterson tallied 28 points on 45.8% shooting from the floor and 36.4% shooting from beyond the arc, 2 steals, and 1 assist in 37 minutes of action against California Baptist.
Despite his stat line, Peterson regressed into a passive role with 4:18 remaining and Kansas leading 66-52. California Baptist roared back to cut the Jayhawks’ lead to just 6 points, and Peterson did not take another shot for the rest of the game as Kansas labored to a first-round win.
During his postgame news conference, Peterson addressed the Jayhawks’ offense going cold and their lack of involvement in the game for a long stretch.
“Just playing,” Peterson said. “I happened to not touch [the ball]. It’s fine, though. I’m glad we won.”
During his postgame news conference, Kansas coach Bill Self also spoke about the highly scrutinized Peterson’s dry spell as the Lancers mounted their comeback late in the game.
“Out of a timeout, we got a couple plays to get the ball to Darryn and we throw it to somebody else,” Self said. “And they’re face-guarding, but we didn’t get it back. So I thought our offense the last four or five minutes was brutal. … When he doesn’t have it, teams aren’t going to let him catch it easy. So take advantage of the times that he does have it.”
Going into the game against the Lancers, Peterson was averaging 19.8 points on 44.2% shooting from the floor and 38.4% shooting from beyond the arc, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists for the Jayhawks. He has put together his most consistent run of minutes in the last seven contests after being beset by cramping issues late in games for most of the season.
Next up, the Jayhawks will face off against the high-flying No. 5-seeded St. John’s Red Storm at Viejas Arena in San Diego in a game where Peterson’s status as the most talented player in the country will be tested severely.
