Kansas Basketball Fans Shouldn't Panic Yet Despite Loss to UNC

There is still time for the Kansas basketball team to turn it around, even after Friday's loss to North Carolina.

Nov 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) dribbles as North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Kansas basketball team played an encouraging first half against North Carolina in Friday's road matchup, only for the Jayhawks to unravel completely in the second half.

The Tar Heels used their home court advantage to get back into the game and never looked back. Despite leading by as many as 10 points, there were some glaring concerns revealed on KU's side with the loss, particularly involving the supporting cast of freshman star Darryn Peterson.

Aside from an early 3-point barrage from fellow freshman Bryson Tiller, the Ohio native didn't receive much help in his second game as a Jayhawk. He poured in 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting, but the offense became noticeably more stagnant and less effective once UNC began applying more pressure on him.

It is no surprise that the team is experiencing these struggles early on, as no player has truly separated himself as the second offensive option behind Peterson. However, this game doesn't mean the Jayhawks can't be an excellent team this year.

Don't Press the Panic Button (Yet)

There was optimism that the Jayhawks could come out victorious heading into the game, but let's look at the facts — true road games against a top 25 opponent are always a toss-up, especially this early in the season with a new-look roster.

Kansas defeated UNC at home in Allen Fieldhouse last year, just for the Jayhawks to have an incredibly disappointing season. While it certainly would have been nice to put this victory on the resume, the Selection Sunday committee isn't going to look at this loss and drastically alter KU's tournament seeding, the same way it didn't put much stock into the wins over schools like UNC and Duke in nonconference play a year ago.

Nov 3, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts during the first half against the Green Bay Phoenix at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Jayhawks still have a lot to work on. Peterson cannot carry the team alone, especially during a grueling Big 12 slate in which he is bound to have a few off games.

But no matter how discouraging Friday's performance was, Bill Self had a vision with this roster and plans to execute the same plan he had before the defeat.

Schools like Duke or UConn won't have their season trajectory changed by a loss later this year. The goal remains the same for Kansas, which is to compete for a spot atop the Big 12 and make a deep NCAA Tournament run.

The team will get back to work and keep on improving ahead of Tuesday's home game vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.