NBA Draft Notebook: Darryn Peterson and Flory Bidunga

On Wednesday night, the eighth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks took on Oklahoma State in Stillwater, hoping to bounce back from a loss to No. 5 Iowa State days before.

The NBA Draft’s projected No. 1 pick in Darryn Peterson took the floor, along with Flory Bidunga, and a few other draft hopefuls. Ultimately, the Jayhawks would run away with the game, 81-69.

NBA Draft on SI was in attendance, on the lookout for separating factors for both Peterson and Bidunga’s stock.

Darryn Peterson, Guard

The Rundown:

A 6-foot-5 combo guard, Peterson is the projected top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. His case to be the No. 1 pick is predicated around his three-level shot-making, prototypical size and athleticism for an NBA guard, as well as his effortless maneuvering around the court.

Injuries have thrown his sole season with Kansas into question at times, though he’s still averaging nearly 20 points per game in just 27.5 minutes per contest.

In Stillwater, Peterson got off to a hot start with crystal clean shot-making, and would then sit most of the second half.

Notes:

Peterson seemed to be moving well in warmups. He’s physically as-advertised, possessing a sturdy, NBA-ready frame. From a physical standpoint, he could compete in the NBA tomorrow.

the shot mechanics are smooth. It’s one fluid motion, though the ball has a slight bit of lateral spin.

Peterson was dialed in from the get-go, hitting a tough on-the-move triple with ease. In the first five minutes alone he showcased his versatility, hitting two distinct 3-pointers, drawing fouls and showing off creative finishing

OSU gave up an odd amount of space early, and he took advantage with easy shot-making.

notably, one of Peterson’s best passes of the night came mid-way through his shot form, which could be a real weapon given his versatility on dribble-jumpers

OSU finally began running Peterson off the line, where he showed plenty of counters. They were unable to speed him up.

On one possession he pump-faked, drove with the left hand, missed a floater then followed his own miss for the put-back.

He finished with just two assists, but showed real poise in ball-moving

Peterson played solidly on defense, moving his feet well and using his bigger frame. He doesn’t seem to have any quick-twitch athleticism back just yet, but has good recovery tools with size and length. Both his block and steal were notable plays

Peterson held his own when switched onto bigs in the post, not allowing easy shots

Peterson would exit soon into the second half and wouldn’t return. He would stay engaged from the bench even with KU up big.

Flory Bidunga, Big

The Rundown:

Bidunga is a 6-foot-10 sophomore with premier athleticism and physicality. He spends the vast majority of his time with Kansas in the paint, protecting the rim with great shot-blocking instincts, posting up and rolling to the basket.

Bidunga saw a tougher game against Oklahoma State, scoring just eight points on 4-for-10 shooting with three turnovers, though he was able to post 11 rebounds, four blocks and two assists.

Notes:

Bidunga displayed great passing from the start, kicked off by a sneaky wrap-around pass near the baseline

His tough faltered all night, starting with a missed mid-range jumper that looked clunky out of his hand and would hit back iron

Flory’s typical shot-blocking instincts were on full display with four on the night. He makes life hard on opposing bigs with a wide frame, and good discipline in staying down

Bidunga has played 31.5 minutes per game so far this season, but looked notably gassed as early as a few minutes into the second half against OSU. He would play an extended stretch, but had his hands on his hips on offense and defense

He would still make an impact, though, blocking a shot and moving on defense

Bidunga notably stays composed in rebounding the ball, finding Peterson for his only field goal of the second half

Bidunga skied for a bad lob pass, came down on two feet, and immediately blasted off for the easy dunk. An impressive play for someone his size

Bidunga was communicative on defense all night

He overextended himself a few times on defensive rebounds, allowing OSU guards to sneak in