Kansas hands No. 1 Arizona first loss of season without Darryn Peterson

Big Monday began in disappointment for Kansas, only to end in pandemonium. Just before tip-off against No. 1 Arizona, news broke of point guard Darryn Peterson being ruled out due to flu-like symptoms. Over two hours later, the Jayhawks broke through for a massive victory to hand Tommy Lloyd‘s team its first loss of the season, 82-78 Allen Fieldhouse certainly played a role in this one, rocking from start to finish.

Playing without Peterson has become routine at this point for KU. Hamstring injuries have been the previous issue for the former Five-Star Plus+ guard. But the roster has gelled well in his absence, proving to be a top-10 team without him. Guys like Melvin Council and Flory Budinga thrive in the big moments, of which there were plenty against Arizona.

Those two led the team in scoring, finishing with 23 points each. However, Council’s buckets and free throws down the stretch put the game on ice for Kansas. Budinga found a way to match his teammate in scoring with a better night from the field, making eight of 11 shots. But his biggest impact might have come defensively, grabbing 10 total rebounds (his fourth 20-point double-double of the season) and blocking three shots. One was inside the final 15 seconds of the game, stuffing Arizona guard Brayden Burries.

This result also extended and brought a little bit of history to Kansas. First, this extended the undefeated streak of head coach Bill Self on Big Monday. It’s now 39 wins and no losses, truly a mind-boggling stat, no matter who you cheer for. Additionally, this was the program’s first win vs. an AP No. 1 team inside Allen Fieldhouse ever. The building opened in 1955.

As for Arizona, this is the first bit of adversity the Wildcats have endured thus far. Some impressive wins have come dating back to the season opener, where Koa Peat broke out as a true freshman vs. the reigning national champions, Florida. Lloyd put together a great nonconference schedule and the Big 12 is as hard as any league out there.

Losing to Kansas is the beginning of a brutal stretch for UofA, though. Arizona plays Texas Tech and BYU at home before heading to Houston over its next three games. A rematch against Kansas and then Iowa State in Tucson also remains on the schedule. Plenty of tests are coming Arizona’s way in the coming weeks.