The constant drama surrounding star Darryn Peterson has turned Bill Self’s 2025-26 season into his toughest coaching challenge yet.

“Who’s in Peterson’s ears? What’s his camp saying to him? Like all these different a lot is going on. If this team gets to the Sweet 16, this may be Bill Self’s best coaching job he’s ever done. And the guy’s won two national championships,” said Matt McCall, giving his true assessment in the Field of 68 podcast.

McCall’s take stems from the fact that, despite having a star player in their rankings, the team has not been able to extract the best out of him. Darryn has, unfortunately, created a habit of “ducking out” of games, which has drawn public criticism from Bill Self himself.

The projected No. 1 NBA pick missed 11 games due to cramps, flu-like symptoms, and other issues. His sporadic availability has disrupted rotations and forced Kansas to adapt to circumstances beyond its control, and that has compromised game plans.

It’s not the same Kansas that won two national championships in  2008 and 2022, where Bill Self was able to utilize his depth and defense to perfection. Those two seasons were nothing short of exceptional for Kansas, especially its last championship win in 2022, where the Jayhawks overcame a 16-point halftime deficit against North Carolina, which still stands as the largest comeback in NCAA title game history.

But those were different times. Self did not manage a locker room that had so many internal problems. While the team is still trying to present a semblance of normalcy, the insiders feel there is something way more sinister brewing in the locker room, and that is why making it to the last 8 will be a much bigger achievement for Bill Self’s team over prior successes.

Taking his team to another NCAA title might be playing on Bill Self’s mind right now, but Self has also made other plans to honor his seniors.

Bill Self Plans to Honor Seniors In Sunflower Showdown

Kansas will have a special night to honor its seniors who are on their way out in their final game at the Allen Fieldhouse in front of its home crowd. The date has been set for their game against state rivals Kansas State Wildcats.

Kansas has 6 seniors on their roster, including Melvin Council Jr., Tre White, Nginyu Ngala, Jayden Dawson, Wilder Evers, and Justin Cross, and this would be a parting gift from Kansas to these players. Coach Bill is excited about the whole program that is about to happen.

“I’m excited for them, and I’m planning on starting those guys. This particular group is more about Wilder and Justin than it is Melvin and Tre, in my opinion, because they have been here the longest. Wilder has been here four years, and Justin has been here for three. Both got their degrees from here and have sacrificed a lot, and been great teammates for the time in which they’ve been here,” said Self.

Walk-ons Wilder Evers and Justin Cross have spent more time with this team despite not getting much playing time on the court, and it will be good to get them some playing time over the others, according to Self.

Unlike Wilder and Justin, Melvin and Tre are regulars off the bench, and that is why Self wants to shift his attention to these two underappreciated characters on his team.

But there is a hitch here. With 6 seniors, it means one would have to start from the bench, so that’s something that Bill Self will have to work his way around.

“The bad thing is one senior can’t start, so we will have to sub him in, but I look forward to seeing them. Of course, Tre and Melvin have been great this year in their one year here. They’ve just been fabulous. We couldn’t ask for them to have better years than what they’ve had,” Self added.

Melvin Council Jr and Tre White have truly been special when the team needed them. With Peterson’s sporadic availability, someone had to be consistent, and both Melvin (13.3) and Tre (14.0) turned up for the Jayhawks, providing the much-needed stability that the team needed.

And that is why Kansas has been distinct and yet awkward this season. Their run this season has been unlike others, which makes them a unique contender. Now, if they can take it all the way and wrap it up with a championship win, it will be the most surprising championship wins in recent memory.