Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd shuns Jayhawks’ Darryn Peterson question following Kansas’ upset win originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Kansas Jayhawks are especially tough to beat inside Allen Fieldhouse, widely regarded as one of the best home arenas in the country. On Monday, they welcomed undefeated Arizona, and before tip-off, major news broke that potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Darryn Peterson, would not play due to illness.
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“Darryn [Peterson] won’t play tonight. He has flu-like symptoms. He went out with the team for warmups but can’t go,” a Kansas spokesperson told ESPN’s Myron Medcalf.
Kansas entered the game without one of its best players — a daunting situation for many teams. Instead, the Jayhawks used it as motivation, pulling off a massive home victory and handing Arizona its first loss of the season.
“Kansas delivered a shocking 82-78 upset victory over No. 1 Arizona on Monday at Phog Allen Fieldhouse as the Wildcats lost for the first time this season. Melvin Council Jr. and Flory Bidunga combined to score 32 of Kansas’ 39 second-half points after it was announced just prior to tipoff that star guard and NBA Draft prospect Darryn Peterson would not play due to flu-like symptoms,” CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno wrote.
After the game, Kansas players and fans celebrated a huge win for the program. During the postgame press conference, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd was asked about Peterson, and he quickly made it clear that the story belonged to Kansas’ team effort.
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“Let’s not make this about Darryn Peterson…they beat the number one team in the country at home tonight,” Lloyd told the media.
Lloyd is absolutely right. The Jayhawks found a way to win without one of the best players in college basketball, and Arizona suffered its first loss of the season as a result of Kansas’ collective performance.
While the Jayhawks will certainly hope to have Peterson back soon, that shouldn’t overshadow what was an incredible game. Lloyd once again showed why he is considered one of the classiest coaches in college basketball.
