KU’s blowout over No. 2 Iowa State validates Jayhawks’ ceiling — with an asterisk

Nearing the midpoint of a thus-far disjointed and disillusioning season, the trajectory of the Kansas men’s basketball team had been flat and its identity enigmatic — mirroring the curious case of would-be freshman megastar Darryn Peterson’s health.

Entering their game Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks seemed somewhat less than the sum of their considerable parts: 11-5, unranked and trying to avert their first 1-3 conference start since the 1987-1988 national title season.

Against second-ranked Iowa State, no less, which was 16-0 and one of only five remaining undefeated teams.

Only three days before, following an exasperating 11-point loss at West Virginia, coach Bill Self bluntly said “we (stink) right now” … only with a less polite version of the parenthetical.

But a caveat came with that — one that proved prophetic Tuesday if only for a night. Emphasis on the “right now,” he had added, since every team has ebbs and flows in a season.

And for all the ebbing so far, KU flowed like it hadn’t all season — or all that much in the last calendar year, for that matter.

Seizing a 26-point lead in the first half, Kansas swarmed the Cyclones 84-63 for its first victory over a top-5 team in three tries this season and just its second in seven chances since January 2025.

Now, whether this was a mirage or a truly revealing reboot remains to be seen, especially since it’s another matter to win away from home — where KU is only 5-4

But it still validated a fundamental point: There’s no real ceiling for Kansas basketball.

Especially if players share and move the ball and fling themselves on the floor and defend with the passion they flashed Tuesday night in a game also marked by what Self reckoned was the best meshing yet with Peterson — who was appearing in just his eighth game and had 16 points.

Instead of deferring to Peterson too much, Self said, this was more what he’d envisioned with a broader attack that featured four players in double figures led by Tre White (19 points, including 5-of-7 3-point shooting).

“I don’t know that we’ve found that balance yet,” Self said, “but tonight was the closest thing to it.”

But what really tilted the balance was an almost-tangible energy that KU hadn’t quite conjured all season.

“I thought our intensity level was at a different level than it’s been any time this year,” Self said.

Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger called KU’s play “extremely urgent” and said it showed “tremendous spirit,” and you could feel it from right about tipoff.

And while some stats told the story — including 12 assists on 17 made baskets in the first half while harassing Iowa State into 10 turnovers and missing 25 of 33 field-goal attempts — the eye test said as much or more.

The case in point:

With KU leading 14-9, Elmarko Jackson was stripped of the ball.

“Terrible play,” Self said. “They took it from him.”

But as it bounced back toward midcourt, he flung his body past the Iowa State defender, pounced on the ball and turned over to fire it to Jamari McDowell — who promptly found White in the far corner for a 3.

An animated Self pointed to Jackson and brought up what he considered a five-point swing in the ensuing huddle and postgame locker room.

Then he broached it before he even was asked about it at his news conference.

“The play of the game,” Self called it, later adding: “Maybe the best play we’ve had this season.”

Perhaps like many coaches, only more so, Self loves that kind of stuff because it sets such a tone of toughness and resilience.

Remember in 2017 when Frank Mason crashed over the first row of baseline media seats and into the second row of tables in Manhattan ... and immediately propelled himself off the front table back onto the court to intercept a pass?

“I think those plays define seasons,” Self said that night.

In contrast to how KU has been meandering, maybe this will have that sort of impact on this season.

Certainly, Self spent the last few days sending that message and punctuated it on a locker room board pregame.

“I put, ‘Get on the floor,’ then something else, then ‘Get on the floor,’ then something else,” he said, smiling. “Then ‘Get on the floor,’ then something else, and ‘Get on the floor.’”

Then again, maybe it had something to do with a players-only meeting that Self hadn’t known about.

“They should meet more often,” he deadpanned.

Whatever stirred it all up, players appreciated the dynamics. And the result.

“That one play,” White said, “kind of sums up our identity.”

Or at least what it could be if they build off this intensity instead of letting it ebb.

This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 6:45 AM.

Vahe Gregorian

The Kansas City Star

816-234-4868

Vahe Gregorian has been a sports columnist for The Kansas City Star since 2013 after 25 years at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He has covered a wide spectrum of sports, including 10 Olympics. Vahe was an English major at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his master’s degree at Mizzou.