Darryn Peterson didn’t have his most complete night, but it wasn’t needed. No. 14 Kansas picked up a 69-56 win over No. 5 Houston on Monday night. The Jayhawks third home win over an AP top-5 opponent this season.
After suffering a loss to Cincinnati on Saturday, Kansas stormed back after falling behind early to the Cougars. Peterson had eight points at halftime and finished with 14, including two three pointers.
Tre White picked up the slack left by Peterson and had 23 points in 28 minutes. He led the way by going 6-for-9 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. When the Jayhawks needed a spark, White was the go-to option.
There was a clear objective for Houston to try to keep Peterson from getting any easy points and it worked. He was double teamed several times, but also was moving around much, which caught everyone’s attention on social media. He’ll have the opportunity to write the rest of his story in the coming weeks. However, Peterson provided nothing that was outstanding on Monday night.
Kansas moves to 21-7 on the season after heads to Tucson to face No. 2 Arizona on Saturday.
Tracking Darryn Peterson stats with points, minutes in Kansas vs. Houston
30 Mins, 14 Points, 5-14 FG, 2-7 3PT, FT 2-2, 3 REB, 1 Ast, 2 TO
Bill Self after KU’s win over #5 Houston (on @notthefakeSVP):
“Even playing without DP so much, I think in many ways it’s forced our other guys to grow up.”
DP = Darryn Peterson. Jayhawks stepped up huge 🔥 #KUBball pic.twitter.com/9IIaZ5hyS1— NBA InsightPro (@SportsTectician) February 24, 2026
3:06- 2nd: Peterson left open for a 3-pointer. His second of the half
6:57- 2nd: Peterson checks back into the game.
Here’s what I saw on the broadcast and you see5 Darryn Peterson give a slight nod to Bill Self? Maybe nothing but Self was pretty fired up.
Peterson did check out shortly after that too. #kubball https://t.co/KAFng7bN9i pic.twitter.com/CUgp74tFuC
— Vince Lovergine (@Vince_Lovergine) February 24, 2021
9:36- 2nd: Right after nailing a 3-pointer, Peterson exits. Is he out for the game at this point?
10:29-2nd: The first triple for Peterson comes in transition.
11:12- 2nd: Peterson back in the game
13:24- 2nd: Peterson out of the game with Kansas up by 11.
14:37- 2nd: Houston double teams Peterson and forces a traveling call.
15:31- 2nd: Peterson has barely touched the ball this half.
17:18- 2nd: TV Timeout. No looks thus far for Peterson.
20:00- 2nd: Peterson starts the 2nd half in the game.
Darryn Peterson with ease 🔥
No. 14 Kansas ends the half on an 11-0 run against No. 5 Houston 👀 pic.twitter.com/hGSeoXUgty
— ESPN (@espn) February 24, 2026
Halftime stats: 15 Mins, 8 Points, 3-10 FG, 0-4 3PT, FT 2-2, 3 REB, 0 Ast, 1 TO, 0 STL, 0 BLK, Fouls: 2
9.9 seconds- 1st: Peterson gets in final look in the half and scores on a floater.
2:21-1st: Peterson to the bench for the second time this half.
Very poor transition defense and effort from Darryn Peterson. Back turned, not engaged.
Kingston Flemings walks down main street for a slam. pic.twitter.com/OXBQNUGnrP
— Jonah (@Huncho_Jman) February 24, 2026
3:33- 1st: There are some fans saying Peterson is having trouble getting calls from the refs. Others are citing lack of effort to crash the boards.
Refs vs Darryn Peterson
— Georgia Power 🕷 (@_gapower) February 24, 2026
Nah wtf is this Effort from Darryn Peterson off a missed shot lmao I’m taking AJ over him I’m sorry pic.twitter.com/NGrswNP5eS
— John (@iam_johnw) February 24, 2026
6:22- 1st: Peterson with a nice floater in the lane.
7:24- 1st: Peterson back in the game after a timeout. He has a plug in his nose after having a bloody nose.
10:25- 1st: Peterson out with second foul early
10:50- 1st: Peterson is trying too hard to make it happen on the floor. Gets his own rebound for a put back layup.
Boston Celtics GM Brad Stevens is here. #KUbball pic.twitter.com/1EmFRAcpp3
— Sam Lance (@slancehoops) February 24, 2026
11:43- 1st: TV timeout. There’s a very clear objective for Houston to lock down Peterson with zone defense. He’s become stuck without much movement.
13:07- 1st: Peterson gets his first points of the game from the free throw line
14:07- 1st: Peterson starts cold by missing his first three shot with two of them from beyond the arc.
Pregame: Peterson is good to go and warming up.
Darryn Peterson going through warm ups for tonight’s matchup with Houston and Kingston Flemings. 👀 https://t.co/4O23y1BQVv
— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) February 24, 2026
The saga surrounding Kansas freshman star Darryn Peterson has become the defining storyline of the Jayhawks’ season, and hits again as No. 14 Kansas prepares to host No. 5 Houston on Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas (20-7, 10-4 Big 12) has struggled to find consistent chemistry while navigating the uncertainty of Peterson’s availability. The contrast has been stark. The Jayhawks scored 82 points in a statement win over Arizona without him, then managed just 68 in Saturday’s home loss to Cincinnati with Peterson logging 32 minutes.
“It’s complicated,” coach Bill Self acknowledged to ESPN, even as he expressed confidence his team has the pieces to contend in March. A two-time national champion with 644 wins at Kansas, Self admitted he’s unsure whether he’s truly had the chance to coach Peterson through a sustained stretch. “The time is now,” Self said.
LIVE: Watch Houston vs. Kansas on the ESPN App
Peterson, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, has averaged 27.2 minutes and missed 11 games, with additional midgame exits due to cramping. He insists the narrative that he is willingly sitting out is misguided.
“Basketball is my life,” Peterson said. “If I could have been out there every game this year, I would have.”
Still, the Jayhawks are 9-2 without him, raising questions about rhythm and role definition less than a month before the NCAA tournament. As Houston arrives, the focus is no longer just on Peterson’s talent — but on whether Kansas can build the cohesion it will need when the games matter most.
Where to watch Houston vs. Kansas basketball
Date: Feb. 23
Time: 9 p.m. ET
The huge Big 12 matchup between the No. 5 Houston Cougars and No. 15 Kansas Jayhawks will tip-off at 9 p.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 23. This will feature two teams looking for a statement win.
What channel is Houston vs. Kansas on?
TV: ESPN
Live stream: ESPN App
Houston vs. Kansas live score, updates, highlights from 2026 college basketball game
The Cougars and Jayhawks matchup can be caught nationally on ESPN. Fans looking to stream the action can do so via the ESPN App with a valid cable login.