Even though star guard Darryn Peterson was a late scratch due to flu-like symptoms, Kansas (19-5 straight up, 16-8 against the spread) still extended its winning streak to eight games and handed top-ranked and previously undefeated Arizona its first loss of the season Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Bill Self’s team captured an 82-78 win as a five or 5.5-point home underdog to improve to 7-1 ATS in its last eight games. The 160 combined points elevated ‘over’ the 152-point total when Arizona’s Brayden Burries drained a 3-pointer to cut the Jayhawks’ lead to 77-76 with 34 seconds remaining.
With 30 seconds left, KU’s Melvin Council Jr. buried a pair of clutch free throws to make it 79-76. After the Jayhawks rebounded an Arizona miss, Council made one of two free throws to extend KU’s advantage to 80-76 with 14 ticks remaining.
Arizona countered with an eight-foot jumper from Motiejus Krivas to cut the deficit to 80-78 with nine seconds left. The Wildcats were unable to get a steal off the inbounds play and were forced to foul Tre White with five seconds left.
White made both free throws to seal the deal at ‘The Phog.’ Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga had a monster game, producing 23 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and one steal. He made 8-of-11 field-goal attempts and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line.
Council finished with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists, burying 10-of-11 free throws. Bryson Tiller contributed 18 points, eight boards, two assists, two blocked shots and one steal. Jamari McDowell added 10 points, six rebounds, four steals, one assist and one blocked shot.
In the losing effort, Burries had 25 points, five rebounds and three steals, hitting 9-of-18 FGAs and 4-of-7 launches from 3-point range. Krivas finished with 14 points, 15 boards, six blocked shots and four assists.
Freshman star Koa Peat, who averages 14.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, was limited to six points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, but he made only 2-of-11 FGAs. Jaden Bradley also struggled mightily with his shot, hitting only 2-of-8 FGAs and 2-of-4 free throws in a six-point performance. He had five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
KU’s win put Peterson’s absence on the backburner, but his inconsistent presence on the court is beyond concerning, especially for NBA teams considering him as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Peterson has now missed 11 games due to hamstring, calf and ankle injuries.
FanDuel currently has Michigan as the +480 ‘chalk’ to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament, with Arizona listed with the next-shortest odds (+500). Kansas is at 17/1, the seventh-shortest number on the board.
As for the odds to win the Big 12 regular-season title, FanDuel has Arizona as the +125 favorite. The next-shortest odds belong to Houston (+135), Iowa St. (+650), Kansas (+750) and Texas Tech (80/1).
KU will go for its ninth straight win Saturday at Iowa St., while Arizona (23-1 SU, 15-9 ATS) will try to get back on track at home vs. Texas Tech.