The Kansas–North Carolina rivalry is college basketball at its fiercest. A rivalry built over generations, fueled by banners, legends, and unforgettable moments. Between them, they’ve claimed 10 national titles, and in recent years, it’s Kansas who has held the upper hand. Bill Self’s squad had won the last five meetings, including clashes on some of the sport’s biggest stages — the 2008 Final Four, the 2012 Elite Eight, and of course, the 2022 national championship game.

But all that history? All those bragging rights? They meant absolutely nothing when these two teams stepped onto the court at the Dean E. Smith Center yesterday. The first half played out just like Kansas would’ve hoped — North Carolina looked out of sync, plagued by turnovers and a sluggish offense. The Jayhawks went into halftime up 37–29, and with momentum on their side, they probably figured they were on track to walk out with a road win.

But that wasn’t the case. The Tar Heels went from shooting 33% before the break to knocking down 24 of 36 shots. They scored 58 points in the second half, which is tied for the second-most ever allowed by Kansas in a half during Bill Self’s 23-year tenure, per SportRadar. That kind of collapse raised eyebrows everywhere — including on the Field of 68: After Dark podcast, where Jeff Goodman dropped a shocking revelation of his own.

Speaking on the podcast, he said: “By the way, if Darryn Peterson takes a night off, Kansas can lose to just about anybody — other than, you know, the buy games. So, I said it when he put together this team: this just does not look like a complete group. And maybe he spent too much money on Darryn Peterson out of their NIL budget.”

Next year’s NBA draft lottery teams are in for a tough choice at No. 1: AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, or Darryn Peterson? And don’t be surprised if the momentum starts leaning Peterson’s way. The Kansas guard looked every bit the future top pick, dropping 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting, along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. But even with his standout night, it wasn’t enough to lift the Jayhawks past North Carolina.

This game exposed the biggest issue for Bill Self’s squad this season: a serious lack of secondary scoring. Outside of Darryn Peterson, the supporting cast just didn’t show up. Sure, Bryson Tiller chipped in 12 points off the bench in just 15 minutes, but he’s not someone you can rely on every night.

Melvin Council Jr. may have dished out seven assists, but his 2-for-11 shooting night didn’t help the cause. Tre White added 10 points, Kohl Rosario chipped in seven, and Flory Bidunga had eight —  but none of them were scoring threats. Without Peterson, this offense looks stagnant, and the three-point shooting outside of him was always going to be a concern.

If you take a closer look at this roster, you will soon understand why. Flory Bidunga has never attempted a collegiate three-pointer. Melvin Council Jr. (28.3% career) and Tre White (30.1% career) don’t offer much spacing either. Elmarko Jackson struggled from deep as a freshman, going just 12-for-45 (26.7%) last season before his injury.

That leaves just two reliable perimeter threats outside of Peterson: Kohl Rosario and Jayden Dawson, who shot 35.3% and 36.3% respectively, from deep last season. Yes, Bryson Tiller knocked down four treys last night, but whether he can keep that up consistently is still a big question mark.

It’s starting to look like Kansas may have overpaid for Darryn Peterson, who reportedly has an NIL valuation of $1.9 million, especially considering the supporting cast around him hasn’t been strong enough to match his level.

That said, Bill Self didn’t waste time pointing out one of the main reasons for last night’s loss.

Bill Self praises Seth Trimble

Kansas got bullied on the boards all night, grabbing only 7 offensive and 20 defensive rebounds, while North Carolina owned the paint with 39 total rebounds. The biggest difference-maker? Seth Trimble, whose relentless effort drew big praise from Bill Self himself!

“He blanketed Darryn in a way that, to me, was terrific,” Coach Self said via ESPN. “Caleb was the best player probably in the game. But you can make a strong case for Henri and for Seth too. The way that [Trimble] guarded Darryn and playing on top of everything, even though Darryn got off 14 shots, that was a situation that he probably needed to get off 20 or 22 [to win].”

Trimble went from being quiet in the first half to absolutely unstoppable after the break. Even though he struggled from three, going 0-for-5, he didn’t let that define his night. Instead, Trimble turned to attacking the basket. He used his explosive driving ability to slice through the Kansas defense, constantly putting pressure on the rim and shifting the momentum in UNC’s favor. The fourth-year returnee finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Jayhawks respond from here. Up next is a manageable matchup against the Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders, a game that shouldn’t give them much trouble. But the real test begins once Big 12 conference play starts. That’s when Kansas will need more than just Darryn Peterson’s firepower.

Where do you see the Jayhawks finishing this season? Drop your predictions in the comments below!