Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson shines in return as UCF upsets Jayhawks

Kansas star Darryn Peterson returned to the lineup Saturday for the first time in nearly a month and turned in his best performance of the 2025-26 season. Peterson, who is the No. 1 NBA draft prospect in the CBS Sports rankings, finished with 26 points, six rebounds and an assist in the No. 17 Jayhawks’ 81-75 loss to UCF.

Peterson scored 23 of his game-high 26 points in the first half. However, the Kansas star only played five minutes in the second half and scored three points. Peterson left with 10:55 left in regulation and did not return.

The former top-ranked player previously only played in four games before returning for the Jayhawks’ Big 12 opener. His final appearance came on December 13 against NC State, when he left the game late and did not return due to a hamstring injury.

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This latest setback saw him miss games against Towson and Davidson. In total, Peterson has missed nine games this season.

Peterson got off to a strong start in the first half against UCF. He scored 11 points in the first six minutes and finished with 23 points before halftime. His previous season high came against North Carolina, when he finished with 22 points in his second collegiate game.

Recap of Peterson’s season so far

As previously reported, this weekend marked Peterson’s fifth game of the season. He appeared in games against Green Bay and North Carolina in November before missing a month with a hamstring injury. Peterson returned to the lineup last month against Missouri and finished with 17 points in 23 minutes of action.

However, in Peterson’s next game against NC State, he appeared to reaggregate the injury that caused him to miss a month. He pulled out of the game twice against NC State, but ultimately did not return. Even with Peterson out of the lineup, the Jayhawks managed to escape with a dramatic 77-76 overtime victory behind a career day from Melvin Council Jr.

After Kansas’ final non-conference game against Davidson last month, coach Bill Self addressed Peterson’s absence, saying it was a mutual agreement between the program and his family to keep the prized freshman out of the lineup until he was at full strength. Even in his return against UCF, Peterson only logged 22 minutes.

Peterson has only played more than 30 minutes once this season. That happened against NC State when he finished with 31 minutes left.

Why Peterson is considered one of the top prospects in the draft

It’s no secret that this freshman class has a chance to become an all-time star. Even with the NBA draft six months away, there is no definitive candidate to go No. 1 overall. That pick will likely go to Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer.

This performance from Peterson was key to his draft stock. For starters, Boozer is playing like the best player in the country and should be the favorite (if the season ended today) to win Player of the Year honors. As for Dybantsa, he has also performed like one of the best players in the country over the past month.

Peterson’s calling card is his ability to get a bucket whenever needed. However, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft traditionally features bigs or wings taken. Peterson is fortunate to be the exception.

The last guard taken with the No. 1 pick was Cade Cunningham in 2021. Since 2010, only six prospects who went No. 1 have been ranked as a guard. Although Cooper Flagg was used as a point guard during the first few weeks of his NBA career by the Dallas Mavericks, he is a traditional power forward at the NBA level.

Part of the intrigue around Peterson is his potential to become a big-time scorer at the NBA level. Peterson is also a talented defensive prospect who can defend at a high level due to his size and athleticism. But what stands out most – and why he could ultimately become No. 1 – is his shooting ability that is unrivaled in this category. This was on display against UCF.

Kansas’ best play will revolve around Peterson staying on the floor. If the Jayhawks can get Peterson’s version in the first half, it would change the entire dynamic of their season. However, if Peterson is limited like he was in the second half, the ceiling for what Kansas can accomplish in March will be significantly lower.