Darryn Peterson key factor as No. 22 Kansas hosts TCU

Darryn Peterson's availability remains a top storyline for No. 22 Kansas as it hosts TCU on Tuesday night at Lawrence, Kan.

Peterson, one of the top freshmen in the country, has flashed his potential when on the court, although that has been limited due to lingering leg injuries. Peterson played in his fifth game of the season at UCF on Saturday, scoring 26 points, but was sidelined the final 10-plus minutes in what became an 81-75 loss for KU.

Afterward, coach Bill Self said Peterson looked "pretty darn good" but was under a minutes restriction.

"That's been a concern that his legs feel differently in the second half," Self said. "A lot of that I think today is if I could have played him less in the first half, would he have been more available in the second half? And I think the answer is yes."

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Jayhawks (10-4, 0-1 Big 12). Peterson is the team's best scoring threat when healthy, averaging 20.6 points per game. Tre White, who posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds against UCF, is averaging 14.5 points followed by Flory Bidunga's 14.2 points and Melvin Council Jr.'s 13.4 points.

Peterson's presence -- or absence -- is impossible to ignore.

"He is definitely a killer," White said. "He comes in and spaces the floor and makes our driving lanes easier. When he's on the floor, we're definitely scoring."

TCU (11-3, 1-0) will enter with momentum after a 69-63 victory over rival Baylor on Saturday. The game was headlined by the Baylor debut of former NBA draft pick James Nnaji, who was held to five points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.

TCU extending its winning streak to six with four players scoring double figures.

Micah Robinson emerged off the bench with a team-high 13 points and 10 rebounds, Xavier Edmonds added 12, and David Punch and Liutauras Lelevicius each finished with 11. Punch has been the most consistent presence throughout the season, leading the team with 14.0 points and 7.7 rebounds.

"I liked how we did it. The defense, the rebounding, that was the emphasis," TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. "Our three goals were to out-rebound them by 10, hold them below their offensive rebound numbers, five 3s or less, and transition points, which we really got them on. It was a really good 40 minutes."

Added Edmonds: "It was fun. We know what it takes to win a Big 12 game now."

Against Kansas, it has been an uphill battle for TCU historically. The Jayhawks are 18-2 against the Horned Frogs since they joined the Big 12 for the 2012-13 season.

Kansas is also 12-1 all-time against TCU at home. The Horned Frogs' lone victory at Lawrence was an 83-60 rout on Jan. 21, 2023. The teams did play a tight game in the most recent matchup at Kansas with the Jayhawks prevailing 83-81 on Jan. 6, 2024.

--Field Level Media