Last season, the Kansas Jayhawks suffered a slip in their performances. Kansas fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Arkansas. Last season saw Kansas slip to a 4-8 away record combined with an 11-9 conference record, and the reasons why Kansas suffered last season become more apparent.
One of the biggest reasons for improved hope this season is the addition of Darryn Peterson. Peterson was ranked as the No.1 player in the class of 2025 according to recruiting outlet 247Sports.
With all eyes on Peterson to bring Kansas back to the premier heights expected, CBS Sports released "101 storylines". There were a number of sub-sections in the list, one of them being "burning questions."
Peterson was assigned that header with the question "Can Darryn Peterson revive slumping Kansas?"
"Bill Self, paired with a future NBA player at lead guard, is usually a tasty combination. Kansas has it in No. 1-rated signee Darryn Peterson, who is revered as one of the top guard prospects in recent memory. Peterson is a total alpha, capable of dropping a 30-piece (or 61, just ask AJ Dybantsa) anytime he walks onto the floor. Oh, and he defends, rebounds and gets to the foul line at will.
Peterson is going to be tremendous, and Kansas will need every ounce of his production to get back on track after back-to-back seasons that started with high expectations and ended with a whimper.
The Big 12 isn't Kansas' league anymore. This is Houston's playground until proven otherwise.
Having a pro guard and a pro at the 5 is usually a good place to start. Kansas has that with Peterson and Flory Bidunga. Can that change the calculus even after the Jayhawks missed on both Dame Sarr and Darrion Williams in the transfer portal?"
From the get-go, Peterson will be tasked with leading a team that will be reliant on Peterson to perform in an early-season stretch that sees the Jayhawks take on the University of North Carolina, Duke, and the University of Connecticut.
When Self spoke with the media last week about Peterson, the two-time national champion coach was full of praise. "He's ultra talented." Marked Self. "You know, the thing about Darryn is we gotta have a team...That understands where the talent is and [ensure] we can play to his talent. He's also got to learn how to raise the level of other people's talent around him. He's gifted, I mean, there's. No denying that. He's gifted, with the ball in his hands."
What would be considered a "revival" for the Kansas program? For each fan comes different expectations. Most hope to see Peterson send Kansas back atop the Big 12, and to snag a high seed in the tournament.