Owen Tyler
Writer
Early on at historic Allen Fieldhouse, the most anticipated freshman showdown of the college basketball season lived up to every bit of the hype if only for one electrifying half.
Tonight was a clash between two of the top talents in the 2026 NBA Draft class, and for the first 20 minutes it was exactly that Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson imposed his will, while BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa struggled to find his rhythm against perhaps the best defense he’s seen all year. Peterson looked like a future No. 1 pick from whistle to halftime, hitting shots from all levels and controlling the tempo as Kansas opened a commanding lead. Meanwhile, Dybantsa usually so dynamic and scoring at a historic clip was held scoreless for the first 13 minutes and looked largely out of sync with the Cougar offense early.
Peterson’s efficiency attacking closeouts, knocking down threes, and forcing turnovers wasn’t just effective. It was dominant. By halftime he had carved up the BYU defense in a way few opponents have, and Kansas held a 20-point lead heading into the locker room as the Jayhawks shot lights-out from the field.
While Peterson may have been the more consistent first-half star because of cramps sitting him out of the majority of the second, Dybantsa’s performance was far from a non-story. Sure, he didn’t get off to the scoring start most expected against a fellow top prospect, yet he showed his versatility later in the game and helped fuel BYU’s second-half surge. Even in a tough matchup, his ability to score in a variety of ways and create for others speaks to why scouts drool over his potential.
Saunders Ignites Cougar Comeback
If Peterson was the story early, then Richie Saunders became the headline in the second half. After BYU’s offense sputtered in the first 20 minutes, Saunders turned on a scoring clinic finishing with a career-high 33 points and 10 rebounds and torching the Kansas defense with relentless aggression. He scored 24 of those points in the final half alone, knocking down multiple threes and keeping the Cougars within striking distance.
Saunders’ hot hand was the catalyst for a BYU rally that brought the Cougars back from a tough deficit. At one point in the closing minutes, the lead shrank to just four points, and it looked like his scoring might complete one of the best comeback efforts in recent memory at Allen Fieldhouse.
Backing Saunders were solid games from Robert Wright III, who added 18 points, and Dybantsa, who finished with 17 despite battling Kansas’ pressure most of the night.
Kansas Closes It Out
But this Jayhawks squad with scoring contributions up and down the lineup had done too much damage early to let it slip. Led by a balanced attack that included Bryson Tiller’s 21 points and key buckets from Flory Bidunga, Melvin Council Jr., and Tre White, Kansas withstood BYU’s charge and closed things on an 8-4 run in the final minute to seal the 90-82 victory.
Kansas shot over 57 % overall and hit double-digit threes, while BYU finished with a solid 45 % clip but just couldn’t quite match the depth of scoring Kansas displayed.
What This Means
For Kansas, it’s another signature win and a chance to build momentum as Big 12 play heats up. For BYU, this was both encouraging and frustrating: their late rally showed the fight in this roster, but the early deficit underscored some of the offensive inconsistencies that have plagued them in marquee matchups.
Individually, Peterson continued to bolster his case as a likely No. 1 pick, showcasing the type of scoring versatility and defensive aggression NBA scouts crave. Dybantsa’s performance may not have matched the standard he set earlier this season, but his second-half impact and resilience still highlighted why he’s firmly in the top tier of draft conversations
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