Kansas did something that no other team had been able to pull off so far this season.
And the Jayhawks did it without star Darryn Peterson.
No. 9 Kansas rallied in the second half to knock off top-ranked Arizona 82-78 on Monday at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday. It marked the Wildcats’ first loss after a 23-game win streak to open the season, and likely paved the way for a new team to claim the No. 1 ranking next week. It marked Kansas’ first win over a No. 1 program since 2003, when it also beat Arizona.
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The loss also means that 24-0 Miami (Ohio) is the last undefeated team left in the country.
Peterson misses another game
The game was billed as one of the biggest on the college basketball calendar with the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft in Peterson leading Kansas at home against the top-ranked and undefeated Wildcats.
Instead, Peterson missed another high-profile matchup as injuries and now illness have marred his otherwise standout freshman campaign. A Kansas spokesman revealed shortly before tip that Peterson was going to be a late scratch due to flu-like symptoms. Peterson joined his teammates for the start of pregame warmups before leaving the court on his own. Further details of his condition were not revealed.
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Monday’s was the 11th game that Peterson has missed out of 24. He missed nine with a hamstring injury and another with an ankle injury prior to Monday’s absence.
Kansas rallies to upset Arizona
Even without Peterson around, Arizona only managed a three-point lead at the break. Bryson Tiller led Kansas with 14 points and Jamari McDowell had 10 in the first 20 minutes, both of which were season-highs for the two players in a single half, to keep the Jayhawks in it.
Though Arizona pushed that lead to 11 points early in the second half and briefly looked like it was going to run away with the game, Kansas finally came alive. The Jayhawks mounted a long 12-3 run — which included a huge lob to Flory Bidunga, who also put them in the lead for the first time all night a few possessions later.
Arizona only managed a single field goal over an eight-plus minute stretch to let Kansas take control. Eventually, Ivan Kharchenkov hit an easy bucket to end the dry spell and make it a two-point game again with about two minutes left.
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Arizona cut the deficit to a single point in the final minute after Jaden Bradley drained a 16-footer and then Brayden Burries hit a 3-pointer after a Kansas turnover on an inbounds pass.
But a pair of free throws from Melvin Council Jr. extended Kansas’ lead to three points again. Then it was Bidunga who finally sealed the deal for the Jayhawks. Burries tried to drive right to the rim, but Bidunga flew in from behind him for a massive block. That gave the ball back to the Jayhawks and allowed them to hang on for the four-point win.
Burries led Arizona with 25 points and five rebounds. Motiejus Krivas added 14 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. Monday’s game marked the first of a tough four-game stretch for the Wildcats, who will have to host No. 16 Texas Tech and No. 22 BYU before traveling to No. 3 Houston next weekend. They also have Kansas a second time and No. 5 Iowa State looming before the end of the season.
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Bidunga led Kansas with 23 points and 10 rebounds to go with three blocks in the win, which marked its eighth straight. He’s now just the third player in the last 35 years to have a 20-point, 10-rebound, three-block night over a No. 1 team in the nation, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.
Absences don’t appear to be hurting Peterson’s draft stock
Peterson has lived up to his billing when he’s been available and is averaging 20.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. A 6-foot-5 guard with a quick first step, Peterson’s a threat to blow by his defender for a dunk or pull up from 3, where he shoots 41.9%.
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Peterson’s availability concerns so far haven’t impacted his projection as the No. 1 pick out of a standout freshman class in which BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson and Houston’s Kingston Flemings are all projected to join him in the top 5 of June’s NBA Draft. That’s thanks to his uncommon athleticism and skill set on both sides of the ball.
After a disappointing 11-5 start, Kansas had thrived with Peterson on the court and entered Monday night with a seven-game win streak that included victories over then-No. 2 Iowa State, No. 13 BYU and No. 13 Texas Tech.
Kansas dropped from preseason No. 19 to out of the rankings in Week 11, only to rise to No. 9 ahead of Monday’s Arizona game with Peterson back in the lineup.
While Peterson’s presence on the floor undoubtedly makes a massive difference for Bill Self’s group, Monday night was more than enough proof that it’s not required for the Jayhawks to win.
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