Kansas has been blessed with the talent it has seen on its court over the years. Bill Self truly knows how to get greatness in the building. The latest great player to grace the court in a Jayhawks uniform has no doubt been freshman Darryn Peterson, who is also projected to be taken No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Peterson's lone season in Lawrence has been anything but what people expected. When he has been on the court, he truly makes Kansas a bona fide title contender; however, he has missed 11 of 24 games this season due to injuries and now illness. When Peterson isn't on the court, the Jayhawks are simply a different team.
It is easy to rely on a player who is so dominant, but Kansas has not had that luxury the entire season, so others have had to step up. Two players in particular have stepped up the most: Melvin Council Jr. and Flory Bidunga. Both have had great seasons in Peterson's limited absences, but Bidunga has certainly stood out the most, and CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein agrees.
Rothstein even believes that bidunga is more valuable to this Kansas team than Peterson.
"Kansas has proven it can beat elite competition without Darryn Peterson."@JonRothstein agrees that Flory Bidunga is more valuable to Kansas than Darryn Peterson. pic.twitter.com/n5CKQkASu0
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 12, 2026
In his freshman season, Bidunga was given limited minutes on the court, averaged about 16.3 a game, and only 5.9 points per game. This season, he has doubled both his time on the court and his points per game with 31.4 minutes a game and 14.9 points per game. Bidunga is also electric defensively as one of the best shot blockers in the game, averaging 2.9 per contest.
Peterson might be the biggest playmaker for the Jayhawks, but his reliability to be on the court just isn't there; Bidunga has been able to pick up the slack. With the win over No. 1 Arizona, Kansas proved they don't have to have Peterson to win the big games.
Peterson is a generational player, and the Jayhawks are certainly a better team when he is on the court, but Bidunga has been the guy who has delivered at every turn, and that could very well make him more valuable.