The Kansas Jayhawks thought this would again be their season with the roster Bill Self built. The Jayhawks had a Darryn Peterson, a five-star freshman, who was already being considered as a top pick, if not the top pick, in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Peterson was going to be the player Kansas needed to push for another National Championship. His season started out great and really gave Jayhawks fans hope, but things quickly turned grim as Peterson suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for quite a few games, including the game against the Duke Blue Devils, one many were excited to see.