The Kansas basketball team lost a heartbreaking game in the NCAA Tournament Sunday when St. John's hit a game-winning layup as time expired.
It was an unfortunate way for the four Kansas scholarship players to end their brief careers at KU. While their time at Kansas was short, they made an impact with the fandom.
It was an unusual roster in that none of the seniors were homegrown. Melvin Council Jr., Tre White, Jayden Dawson, and Nginyu Ngala were all transfers with one year of eligibility left when they arrived at Kansas.
Tough way for the seniors and Darryn Peterson to go out at Kansas
One other player also played his final game in the crimson and blue. Super freshman Darryn Peterson will certainly head for the NBA, where he will be an early draft pick.
Peterson committed to head coach Bill Self and Kansas early last year, and KU built the roster around him. Unfortunately, he experienced some severe cramping issues early in the preseason, and it led to leg problems throughout the season. Peterson had to sit out 11 games and missed large portions of other games.
The team struggled to find the same on-court chemistry they seemed to have off the court. At times, they looked incredible, especially during an eight-game winning streak early in conference play.
Council and White stepped forward in Peterson's absences, along with Flory Bidunga, and played well for most of the season. For whatever reason, all three of these players struggled down the stretch; none played well in the Big 12 tournament loss to Houston or against St. John's on Sunday.
Still, White and Council created fond memories for KU fans because of how hard they played. They excelled when Peterson was injured, and they both brought a tough mentality and attitude that clicked with fans. It was tough to see them struggle against the Red Storm.
The four transfer seniors and Peterson saw their time with the Jayhawks end poorly, and that's too bad. This felt like a team that could pull it together and go on a deep run. Unfortunately, they played poorly against St. John's and didn't get it going until the last five minutes or so.
There is an outside chance that Peterson and Council will return, but it's highly unlikely. A few weeks ago, Peterson mentioned there was a chance he could return, but at the time, it felt like he was joking.
Council might be exploring his options for getting another year of eligibility. The NCAA has allowed some athletes who played at the junior college level another year, but Council played two years of junior college ball, and his season at Kansas was his fifth year. It's unlikely that he will get another year.
Council established himself as a crowd favorite very early and would be welcomed back with open arms. As far as Peterson is concerned, most fans understand that the Jayhawks never had him at 100 percent, and no one got to see exactly what he could do. While a do-over season would be great for fans, he's certain to head to the NBA.
It is always sad when the season ends, and this season especially feels like the team never quite reached its potential. Fans should focus on the good games this team produced, like wins over Iowa State, Houston, and Arizona, as well as others.
Now, hopefully, Self can keep the remaining core of players together to join the four incoming freshmen. Taylen Kinney, Davion Adkins, Trent Perry, and Luke Barnett should all give hope to fans that the Jayhawks will be a force in 2026-27.
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