The marquee matchup between two of the nation’s most talked-about freshmen and potential No. 1 NBA Draft picks produced plenty of flash before Darryn Peterson’s night was cut short due to cramps.
Peterson scored 18 points in just 20 minutes Saturday, fueling Kansas' fast start with pull-up jumpers, attacks to the rim and a first-half dunk that rocked Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas coach Bill Self said Peterson’s burst helped ignite everything around him.
“One guy got us off to a really good start and the basket got big for everybody,” Self said. “DP was just DP. You guys hadn’t had a chance to see that like we have. Just unfortunate we didn’t see it for 40 minutes.”
The highlight of Peterson’s night came on a high-flying finish over traffic in the first half.
“That was athletic and it was off a sprained ankle,” Self said. “That was good to see. He showed a lot in his bag in the first half.”
Across the floor, Dybantsa responded with scoring and tough shot-making, creating a back-and-forth battle that lived up to the hype of a possible future No. 1-pick showdown.
“He can get to a spot,” Self said of Dybantsa. “You’re not going to block his shot. You just have to contest it.”
Peterson’s run ended early when cramps slowed him after halftime, something Self noticed before the second half even began.
“He didn’t have the same bounce,” Self said. “He said he was good, but I could just tell.”
Even in a shortened game, Peterson delivered one of the game’s defining stretches, turning a hyped matchup into a highlight reel for 20 minutes. In the end the No. 14 Jayhawks took down No. 13 BYU 90-82 on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.