After scoring 28 points in Kansas’s 68-60 first-round win over Cal Baptist on Friday, Peterson said the hard part appears to be behind him. He described feeling healthy for the first time in a while, adding that playing freely and with genuine enjoyment had returned in a way it had not during the stretch when the issue was at its worst. That update matters considerably as Kansas prepares to face St. John’s Today at 5:15 p.m. ET in San Diego, with a Sweet 16 berth on the line.
What Peterson has been carrying
Peterson acknowledged in his postgame remarks that the health situation had affected not just his physical performance but his mental state, saying the uncertainty about how much he could give on any given night made the period difficult to manage. He has only appeared in 22 of Kansas’s 34 games this season, a number that reflects how significantly the issue disrupted his availability.
There was one moment Friday worth monitoring. During the game, Peterson’s knee appeared to buckle on a layup attempt, and he described it afterward as feeling like a flat tire. He did not treat it as serious in context, and nothing in his postgame manner suggested concern about Today. He has not appeared on any NCAA Tournament injury reports.
Still, Kansas will want to watch his movement in warmups and early in the game, given that the Jayhawks lean heavily on his shot creation and his ability to operate off pick-and-roll actions at the rim.
What Peterson brings when healthy
The 28-point performance against Cal Baptist provided the clearest recent look at what Peterson is capable of when right. He hit four three-pointers and carried a heavy offensive load in a game Kansas needed to avoid an upset. According to the program, the performance marked the most points by a Kansas freshman in an NCAA Tournament debut and was his 11th game this season with at least 20 points.
On the season, Peterson is averaging 20.5 points on 44% shooting from the field and 38% from three-point range, adding 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He is one of the projected top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft and represents the highest-ceiling offensive threat in this matchup.
Peterson said after Friday’s win that teammates had told him the group had not yet reached the second weekend of the tournament, and that helping them get there is a goal he carries personally into Today’s game.
What St. John’s sees
St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino, in his third year leading the Red Storm, spoke Saturday about the challenge Peterson presents. He described a player who gets to the free throw line, has natural shooting arc, uses his size effectively in pick-and-roll situations, and has the offensive game of someone already built for the next level. Pitino said his program has its work cut out trying to contain him but noted that Kansas is more than one player, pointing specifically to senior Melvin Council Jr.’s fast-break ability and sophomore Flory Bidunga’s defensive credentials. Bidunga is the Big 12 Conference’s defensive player of the year.
Pitino is preparing for a Kansas team he described as physical, tough-minded, and unusually reliant on lob dunks for a program at this level. He framed the game not through the lens of what a Sweet 16 appearance would mean for St. John’s, the program’s first since 1999, but through the lens of what it will take to beat the Jayhawks.
Kansas enters at 24-10. St. John’s is 29-6. The winner advances to the Sweet 16 and faces Texas.