Bill Self and Kansas Men's Basketball Ready To Host Good Towson Squad Tuesday Night

No. 17 Kansas men’s basketball returns home Tuesday night to host Towson in Allen Fieldhouse, looking to build momentum after a dramatic 77-76 overtime road win at NC State.

The Jayhawks (8-3) leaned heavily on senior guard Melvin Council Jr. on Saturday, as Kansas survived despite Darryn Peterson exiting the game with two minutes to go in regulation. Head coach Bill Self said afterward the win felt familiar but far from satisfying, pointing to pace and ball movement as areas that still need improvement.

Kansas’ lineup could be impacted by the status of freshman guard Peterson, who left the NC State game with quad cramping. Self said Monday that Peterson is “day to day” and stressed the issue is not related to his previous hamstring injury. Peterson’s availability will be monitored leading up to tipoff.

If Peterson is limited or unavailable, Kansas will, of course, rely on the Jayhawks who helped the team when he missed seven games earlier this season. Council played extended minutes at NC State and has quickly become one of the Jayhawks’ most dependable options on both ends of the floor. Tre White and Bryson Tiller will also be key pieces, while Flory Bidunga anchors down low. 

Towson (6-4) enters as a mid-major capable of testing Kansas if the Jayhawks are slow to establish tempo. The Tigers are active defensively and can stretch the floor, something Self acknowledged when previewing the matchup.

“I think they’re good,” Self said. “I think they play really hard and are extremely active. They can shoot it from four spots. I think they’ve got a nice team, and we’re going to have to play with the passion, energy and pace that good teams play with.”

Peterson’s status will likely be announced within an hour of tipoff. Kansas fans who can not make it to the game can catch the match on ESPN2; tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CST.