What Kansas coach Bill Self said ahead of his team’s matchup against No. 13 BYU

Amid Saturday’s slate of college basketball games, one contest clearly stands out above the rest.

No. 13 BYU’s visit to No. 14 Kansas is not only the lone ranked matchup of the day, but also the long-awaited showdown between star freshmen AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, who are widely considered to be the top two prospects in this summer’s NBA draft.

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While acknowledging the “great” storyline of Dybantsa vs. Peterson, legendary Kansas head coach Bill Self hopes everyone can see the entire perspective for Saturday — a crucial battle within the heated Big 12 title chase — rather than solely focusing on just two players.

“I mean, two great, great prospects. Two of the better prospects we’ve had in recent memory,” Self said of Dybantsa and Peterson during a Wednesday appearance on Jon Rothstein’s “Inside College Basketball Now” podcast.

“I mean, they’re really great prospects, but it’s still Kansas vs. BYU. The players that understand that and can play to that will give their team the best chance to win. This isn’t a one-on-one deal, this is a team-vs.-team deal.

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“So it’ll be a storyline within the game, it’ll be fun and whoever handles this the most maturely will probably have the best chance to have some success.”

Here are other highlights from Self’s appearance on the “Inside College Basketball Now” podcast.

On what he thinks about BYU

“Love them. I think Kevin (Young) has done a great job in a short amount of time. They can stretch it from all four spots. They play around the big. They have rim protection.

“People talk so much about AJ, but (Rob) Wright is good, and (Richie) Saunders has been just killer the last two years. He is so good and he gets such great elevation on his jumper that it’s a hard one to contest. He’s making shots.

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“It’s hard. But I like their team, I like their team.”

On the Big 12 this season

“If you’re one of the best four or five teams in our league, you…

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Publish date : 2026-01-29 23:16:00

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