No. 19 KU rebuilds around elite freshman Darryn Peterson after back-to-back disappointing seasons

No. 19 KU rebuilds around elite freshman Darryn Peterson after back-to-back disappointing seasons | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - Kansas head coach Bill Self rects on the sidelines during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCF in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament, March 12, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

No. 19 Kansas (21-13, 11-9 Big 12)

The Jayhawks were the preseason No. 1 team last season and never lived up to the hype. They were bounced by Arizona in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament, then were beaten by Arkansas in the first round of the NCAAs. Just about everyone from that team is gone now, replaced by a few select transfers and a freshman class that should be among the best in the nation. Darryn Peterson could be the No. 1 NBA draft pick next year.

Players to watch

Peterson is exactly the kind of player that Kansas has not had the past few years: He can score even when the Jayhawks run bad offense. The 18-year-old from Prolific Prep in Napa, California, was a McDonald’s All-American after averaging more than 30 points per game last season.

Departures and arrivals

Longtime mainstays Hunter Dickinson, K.J. Adams Jr. and Dajuan Harris Jr. all graduated, as did Zeke Mayo, one of the few transfers who worked out last season. AJ Storr transferred to Ole Miss after a disappointing season, Rylan Griffen headed to Texas A&M and Rakease Passmore and David Coit Jr. transferred to Maryland.

Tre White arrived from Illinois, Jayden Dawson came from Loyola and Melvin Council Jr. joined from St. Bonaventure. Peterson is part of a six-man freshman class that includes elite prospects Kohl Rosario, Samis Calderon and French center Paul Mbiya.

Top games

The Jayhawks open against Green Bay on Nov. 3 before a trip to No. 25 North Carolina four days later. They also play No. 6 Duke in New York, Notre Dame and Syracuse in Las Vegas, No. 4 UConn at Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 2, and Missouri in the Border War in Kansas City.

Big 12 play ends with a brutal stretch that includes No. 2 Houston, No. 13 Arizona, a trip to Arizona State and rival Kansas State.

Facts and figures

Kansas has not made it out of the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2022, when it won the national title. … The Jayhawks had been the preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25 each of the past two seasons. … Kansas has lost double-digit games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1998-99 and ‘99-00 seasons. … The Jayhawks were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season, their worst seed under Bill Self. They were an 8-seed in 2000 under Roy Williams. … Self has won 831 games, two behind Cliff Ellis for No. 12 on the Division I list.

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No. 19 KU rebuilds around elite freshman Darryn Peterson after back-to-back disappointing seasons | iNFOnews.ca
FILE – Loyola Chicago guard Jayden Dawson (1), who has since transferred to Kansas, shoots under pressure from Boston College guard Donald Hand Jr. (13) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Nov. 23, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
No. 19 KU rebuilds around elite freshman Darryn Peterson after back-to-back disappointing seasons | iNFOnews.ca
FILE – Illinois guard Tre White (22), who has since transferred to Kansas, shoots on Iowa forward Seydou Traore (7) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

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