Three Instant Observations From Kansas’ Smooth Victory Over Utah

No. 11 Kansas continued its winning ways on Saturday, defeating Utah 71-59 in a comfortable, albeit ugly, win. The Jayhawks improved to 18-5 on the year and 8-2 in Big 12 play.

Although Utah kept things close in the first half, Bill Self's group pulled away after halftime behind a strong defensive performance. It marked the seventh consecutive victory for the red-hot Jayhawks and served as a much-needed tune-up ahead of next Monday's showdown with top-ranked Arizona. Here are three takeaways from the convincing win.

Jan 24, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts during the first half against the BYU Cougars at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

3. Team Looked Sluggish at the Start

It appeared that Kansas might have been in for a long afternoon after surrendering 12 points in the game's first four minutes. Fortunately, the defense tightened from that point forward and played with much more intensity.

While the Utes cut the deficit to as little as two points early in the second half, it never felt like they had much of a chance at any point. Utah finished the day shooting just 40.0% from the field and committed eight turnovers after halftime.

Not every win is going to look pretty, but the Jayhawks responded well after a slow start and handled business the rest of the way.

2. Got It Done on a Darryn Peterson off Night

Peterson is not going to look unstoppable every night, especially with the amount of defensive attention he commands. He finished with 14 points, three rebounds, and two steals on 5-for-12 shooting, along with three turnovers.

Even with an inefficient offensive night from their star, the Jayhawks still found a way to win comfortably. Utah defended Peterson aggressively from until the final horn and allowed him very few clean looks.

His most impressive highlight came on a strong and-1 dunk in the second half. There was a brief scare late when he limped to the huddle after being fouled, but Peterson returned to finish the game.

Peterson's 34 minutes played were the second-highest mark he has reached this season. More importantly, he closed out a second straight game without looking debilitated, building on his progress from earlier this week against Texas Tech.

1. Flory Bidunga’s Defensive Masterclass Leads the Way

No player was more impressive than Bidunga today. The 6-foot-9 big man not only posted a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double, but also recorded a career-high seven blocks.

Every Utah player who dared to shoot with Bidunga in the vicinity of the rim was denied by his incredibly long wingspan. It underlined just how massive a defensive impact he has on the game.

His +14 plus-minus tied for second-best on the team, trailing only Melvin Council Jr. (+20). This may have been the most complete outing for Bidunga all season, as he missed just one shot attempt (7-for-8 shooting) and even assisted a couple of alley-oops to his teammates in addition to throwing down a handful of dunks.