KU basketball survives trap game against Utah. Here are the biggest takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Flory Bidunga anchored defense with seven blocks and 10 rebounds.
- Kansas overcame sluggish play to win and extend its win streak to seven.
- Peterson scored 14 with a highlight dunk but had a quiet, uneven game.
If you missed Kansas men’s basketball’s game against Utah on Saturday, here’s a word of advice:
Don’t bother watching the replay.
The Jayhawks entered this matchup as 19.5-point favorites. They still won handily, 71-59, but it was a slog to get there.
In fact, outside of Flory Bidunga’s defensive masterclass, there weren’t many standout performances from the Jayhawks, who did separate late in the game for the double-digit win.
The good news: Kansas is now on a seven-game winning streak, even if this was the worst the group has looked along the way.
The crowd inside a packed Allen Fieldhouse didn’t have too much to cheer for until late in Saturday’s game. One of the highlights came from freshman sensation Darryn Peterson, who scored a ferocious dunk while being fouled late in the second half.
The Jayhawks (18-5, 8-2 Big 12) are now 3-1 all-time against the Utes. And they’re starting to build quite the solid NCAA Tournament resume as this year rolls along.
Bidunga led the Jayhawks on Saturday, scoring 17 points with 10 rebounds and seven blocks. Tre White added 16 points and six rebounds. Peterson finished with 14 points on a mostly quiet night.
Despite a sluggish start, the Jayhawks led 38-31 at the half. Utah got within two points multiple times early in the second half, but it was all Kansas from there.
The Jayhawks led wire to wire in the second period.
Up next for KU: The Jayhawks host No. 1 Arizona at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday.
Until then, here are three takeaways from Saturday’s matchup.
Flory Bidunga was KU’s star on Saturday
After KU’s win at Texas Tech, both Peterson and coach Bill Self said that big man Flory Bidunga is the best defender in the nation.
That was on full display back at Allen Fieldhouse.
At one point in the first half, a Utah ball handler couldn’t get past Bidunga on a drive to the basket. While flustered, he threw the ball backward to a teammate.
The pass was too high, leading to a turnover that turned into a Jayden Dawson 3-pointer.
That wasn’t all. Bidunga contributed elite help defense and rim protection. He had three blocks in the first half, then four more in the second. He also contributed seven defensive rebounds.
Self called Bidunga KU’s best player in the game. Bidunga also spoke to media members and explained how he blocks so many shots.
“I was always taught to jump second, and I think that’s what I did pretty much,” he said. “I feel like with my quickness, it’s pretty easy.”
This was a trap game
Utah (9-14, 1-9 Big 12) entered Saturday on a four-game losing streak with just one conference win against TCU.
Kansas, riding an impressive winning streak, was a 19.5-point favorite, with No. 1 Arizona coming to town in just two days.
So then, maybe it’s no surprise KU didn’t bring its “A” game.
In both halves, the Jayhawks started slow. The defense was lackadaisical at best, while the offense wasn’t much better. It felt and looked like KU was doing the bare minimum to win the game.
A prime example was Peterson’s play. He’s generally a solid defender, but he was scored on repeatedly to start the game, letting multiple players get to the basket with ease.
At one point, Utah pulled within two points in the second half, but KU managed to lock in and win with ease. It certainly wasn’t pretty, though.
“I think our energy level this past week wasn’t what it needs to be,” Self said. “You hear this expression all the time, ‘trap game’ or whatever. Mature teams don’t have trap games. It’s human nature in some ways, but mature teams enjoy playing every day.”
Big picture?
“We’ve got to be more mature and handle those situations better,” Self said.
On the note of Darryn Peterson ...
One of the hallmarks of the Peterson experience is how he always finds a way to make his impact felt. But that really wasn’t the case for most of the game vs. Utah.
Peterson, like many of teammates, had a quiet game. It was a little surprising because his biggest draft rival, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, dropped 43 points on this Utah squad.
On Saturday, Peterson let his teammates take over the spotlight. He did have a couple of nice buckets late in the second half — including the memorable dunk — but wasn’t anything special outside of that highlight play.
He finished with 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting. It was the least amount of points he’s scored all season. He had one assist to three turnovers and three rebounds in 34 minutes.
But there was one positive: Self said Peterson hasn’t been cramping in his recent performances, even if he’s hit a mini-skid over the last two games.
“I didn’t think he had a good week,” Self said. “I thought he was unbelievable vs. BYU for a half and (at) Texas Tech got through it. Today, got through it, but there wasn’t much pop or energy like there needs to be.”
This story was originally published February 7, 2026 at 4:01 PM.
