The Freshman of the Year race is heating up with Cam Boozer leading the way, followed closely by AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson. But one name we haven’t talked about nearly as much as we thought we would is Kansas freshman and potential lottery pick, Darryn Peterson.

Peterson played only two games for Bill Self’s side before a hamstring injury sidelined him for the next seven, a huge loss for a Kansas group that had built its roster around Peterson. And, not to forget that Peterson was averaging 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals in his first two games as a Jayhawk.

However, former college basketball star Randolph Childress believes the Jayhawks have actually done a phenomenal job without Peterson on the floor.

Speaking on the Field of 68: After Dark podcast, Childress said, “Kansas played really impressively without Peterson. Try taking Dybantsa or Caleb Wilson off their teams and see them go 3-0 in Players Era.”

Kansas took down No. 17 Tennessee, Notre Dame, and Syracuse and finished third in the Players Era Festival, all without their best player on the floor.

Players like Flory Bidunga and Tre White have really stepped up in Peterson’s absence, combining for 28.9 points per game and showing just how much depth this Kansas team actually has. That depth is going to make them a real threat as the season goes on.

But the one thing they’ll have to fix is beating ranked teams, because, so far, all of their losses have come against ranked opponents.

But take BYU, for example. According to Forbes, Dybantsa signed an NIL deal worth close to $7 million, and that naturally limits how much roster depth you can build around a star like him. BYU is still a really good team; they’re 7–1 with their only loss coming against UConn, but depth is already a real worry for coach Kevin Young.

The Cougars have already lost Nate Pickens for the season after he underwent surgery. And things got even worse for their backcourt when guard Dawson Baker announced on Instagram that he had suffered a major knee injury. A completely torn ACL, a torn lateral meniscus, mild PLC involvement, grade 2 MCL and LCL sprains, bone bruising, muscle and tendon strains, and small impact fractures.

Baker was averaging 7.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, and he was the best scorer in BYU’s second unit. He had just put up 11 points against UConn and 12 against Wisconsin, so losing him is a massive blow. No program ever truly prepares for an injury crisis, and that’s why what Kansas has done without Darryn Peterson feels even more impressive.

Also, BYU relies heavily on Dybantsa. When Dybantsa and Kennard Davis Jr. share the floor, opponents are scoring just 83.4 points per 100 possessions, according to ESPN. And players trying to shoot spot-up jumpers over Dybantsa are only 5-for-28, according to Synergy Sports. Without his defensive impact, the Cougars might not even be a top-25 team right now.

As Childress points out, not many teams can keep winning without their arguably best player, and that’s a testament to Bill Self’s coaching and recruiting. Luckily for Kansas and Bill Self, Peterson is back, and he returned with a strong performance.

Bill Self is happy with Darryn Peterson’s performance

The Jayhawks proved on Sunday that they’re a different team when Darryn Peterson is out there. The potential No. 1 pick returned from his hamstring injury and immediately took over, putting up 17 points in just 23 minutes as No. 21 Kansas rolled past Missouri 80–60 in the latest chapter of the Border War.

And what most people didn’t realize while watching him play is that he wasn’t even at full strength. He was dealing with flu-like symptoms, as the coach later confirmed.

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“I thought he did fine. I didn’t think he pushed it. That’s not because of his [hamstring], that’s because he’s sick. I was nervous he wasn’t going to play. And then I’d have to tell you guys again, ‘Something came up,’ and you guys will say, I’m bullshitting you, which I’m not at all,” Bill Self said.

With Peterson back, Kansas suddenly looks like a team that can give anyone trouble on the right night. Now it comes down to building chemistry around him and letting him play to his strengths, because when Peterson finds his rhythm, the Jayhawks usually follow right behind.