Darryn Peterson needed just 20 minutes to sway fans to hop on his bandwagon.
The Kansas guard was en fuego in the first half of his team’s high-profile matchup Saturday against AJ Dybantsa and BYU. Peterson torched the nets at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., putting up 18 points in the first half alone to help the Jayhawks cruise to a 90-82 win over the Cougars.
Peterson took his 1-on-1 showdown with Dybantsa personally. The Kansas star looked a cut above his BYU counterpart in the opening half, with several electrifying plays when the two were matched up with one another.
DARRYN PETERSON TOUGH BUCKET ON AJ DYBANTSA 🍿
— ESPN (@espn) January 31, 2026
Watch BYU-Kansas now on ESPN and the ESPN App. pic.twitter.com/x0IxjFnanb
Just watch Peterson blow by Dybantsa and throw down a ferocious slam over BYU big man Keba Keita.
OMG DARRYN PETERSON😱
— ESPN (@espn) January 31, 2026
“I’m no doctor Jay, but I think he’s feeling pretty good right now.” 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/EPoFnjfKRe
Peterson and Dybantsa are expected to be the first two names called in the 2026 NBA Draft. Several fans viewed Saturday’s game as evidence that Peterson was the far superior prospect between the two.
You can watch any given AJ Dybantsa or Cam Boozer game and wonder how they’re not gonna be the No. 1 pick… then Darryn Peterson plays and reminds us all there are levels to this.
— Tyler King (@King_TylerB) January 31, 2026
Special, special hooper. pic.twitter.com/WkNfKDVLa2
AJ Dybantsa is a great prospect. Cam Boozer is a great prospect.
— Tyler Edsel (@tyleredsel76) January 31, 2026
Darryn Peterson comes around once every 25 years.
After having watched exactly 10 minutes of college basketball this season I have decided that Darryn Peterson is much better than AJ Dybantsa.
— Noops Christenson (@_Noops) January 31, 2026
AJ Dybantsa really isn’t in the same tier as Darryn Peterson.
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) January 31, 2026
Peterson the best guard prospect in atleast 10 years, maybe this century.
The only thing really holding Peterson back right now is his inability to stay on the court. He played just a few minutes of the second half before being taken out of the game for what Bill Self labeled a bout with cramps.
It was right in line with the mysterious injury woes Peterson has dealt with throughout the season. Peterson finished with 18 points and 3 steals on 6/8 shooting across 20 minutes of action. Dybantsa tallied 17 points on 6/12 from the field in 34 minutes.
