Kansas HC Bill Self Discusses Darryn Peterson’s Performance vs Arizona

Kansas was utterly dominated by Arizona on Saturday evening, falling 84-61 to the Wildcats in what was the biggest margin of defeat for Bill Self's squad all year. It was out of reach before the end of the first half, marking one of the worst performances the Jayhawks have had in the 2025-26 campaign.

Of the three players to score in double figures for KU, freshman guard Darryn Peterson led the way with a game-high 24 points. Despite his point total, no one on the court played particularly well for the Jayhawks throughout the night.

Following the defeat, head coach Bill Self spoke with the media to discuss his team's showing. He was also asked what he thought about Peterson's second half, where he shot 5-for-10 from the field and was subbed out around the 5-minute mark.

"You can say slow start, and I'm not going to disagree with you, but was it a slow start because he missed shots, or did he play poorly?" Self asked. "I don't think he played poorly. I just think he missed shots. He got us back to the point where we were close, and then we kind of went brain-dead after that.

Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

"But I thought he was fine, I thought he was fine," he continued. "And even though, I'm not admitting to anything other than the fact that when the game was out of reach, it was time to start thinking about resting guys for Tuesday, to be honest with you."

With big men Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller combining to score four points, the freshman phenom had to take on an additional offensive workload. Peterson had scored 11 points in a row for the Jayhawks at one point and was virtually the only player creating shots for the team.

It was just the second time since Jan. 16 that Peterson scored over 20 points. But in the process, he missed a season-high 13 shots and failed to connect on a lot of looks he typically makes.

At the end of the day, the entire game was a debacle for the Jayhawks. UA set the tone early on with a 19-0 run in the first half and never looked back from its large lead.

Although the entire squad left something to be desired, Peterson is certainly capable of stronger nights. He will have a chance to bounce back tomorrow against Arizona State in another road clash.