Darryn Peterson and the Kansas Jayhawks finished the 2025-26 college basketball regular season with a 23-10 overall record and 12-6 in Big 12 play, securing the No. 4 seed in the East region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Kansas opened up March Madness play with a 68-60 first-round win over the No. 13 seed California Baptist Lancers, advancing to the second round.
But the Jayhawks’ run didn’t last much longer, falling in the round of 32 to Rick Pitino and the No. 5 seed St. John’s Red Storm 67-65, ending their season. The game ended after St. John’s Dylan Darling hit a driving layup as time expired to secure the win and a trip to the Sweet 16 for Pitino’s squad.
Despite the loss, Peterson continued to shine in his final game as a freshman. The Kansas guard tallied a team-high 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting and 8-of-10 from the free-throw strike, four rebounds and four blocks. St. John’s star and Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor recorded 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, leading the Red Storm to the win.
Peterson’s freshman season was plagued by injuries, causing him to miss more than 10 games. Those included persistent body cramping and an illness, along with hamstring, quad and ankle injuries. However, he still earned second-team All-Big 12 honors, averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
And on Monday, following Kansas’ loss to St. John’s, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor shared a quote from Peterson, as the Jayhawks star said he “wasn’t himself” until the end of the season due to all of his injuries.
“I was hurt for the majority of the year,” Peterson said. “I went through some really bad stuff. I wasn’t really myself for real until like the end of the year.”
“I was hurt for the majority of the year. I went through some really bad stuff. I wasn’t really myself for real until like the end of the year.”
— Darryn Peterson
(h/t @KevinOConnor ) pic.twitter.com/Wn5AOupMVb
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 23, 2026
Now, Peterson will likely be heading to the NBA, where he is expected to be one of the first picks in the 2026 draft on June 25.
Related: Duke’s Cameron Boozer Makes Announcement Before Sweet 16
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.