Kansas basketball didn’t need its star freshman to take down the top ranked team in the country.
The No. 9 Jayhawks downed No. 1 Arizona 82-78 despite being without Darryn Peterson, who missed Monday’s contest because of an illness. The loss marks the first of the season for the Wildcats after a perfect 23-0 start.
Peterson, who is widely projected to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, is putting up 20.5 points per game this year, so having to play without him was no small feat.
Senior guard Melvin Council Jr. stepped up in Peterson’s absence, posting 23 points, six boards and six assists while playing all 40 minutes of the game. It was just the third time this season that Council has posted more than 20 points.
Flory Bidunga also came up big for the Jayhawks with 23 points, 10 boards and three blocks.
Kansas held a six-point lead heading into the final minute, but Arizona cut it to a one-point deficit after a quick two, a forced turnover and a three-pointer at the other end.
From there, the Jayhawks hit a pair of free throws to increase the lead to three points with half a minute to play, and made it four points with another free throw at the 15-second mark.
The Wildcats cut the lead to two points with under 10 seconds to play, but Kansas was able to ice the game on the stripe at the other end of the floor.
Kansas looked a bit shaky to start the year with a pair of non-conference losses and two unranked losses to start Big 12 play, but they’ve managed to turn things around and now look more like championship contenders.
A win over the top-ranked team in college basketball should do plenty for the Jayhawks’ confidence as they get ready for a contest against No. 5 Iowa State on Saturday.
