It’s time for the opening Saturday of Big 12 men’s basketball with No. 17 Kansas traveling to UCF on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT on Peacock/NBCSN. Darryn Peterson is expected to the roster for the Jayhawks (10-3) after a two-game absence, as the Knights (11-1) hope to knock off the Jayhawks for just the second time in school history.
The Jayhawks opened up as 5.5-point favorites over the Knights. The over/under opened up at 150.5 total points. The line has shifted, with Kansas now only a 4.5-point favorite in many sports books, while the over-under has moved up to as high as 157 total points in some books.
KU enters the contest with a 67% edge on UCF, according to ESPN Analytics. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 3-1, including a 98-94 overtime win in their last meeting with UCF at the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.
Bill Self said KU has its full roster available for Saturday, following a 90-61 home win over Davidson on Dec. 22. UCF enters its conference opener on a 10-game win streak, including eight consecutive home wins since Nov. 17 (an 86-74 win at Texas A&M remains the Knights’ only road trip to date).
UCF is one of five Power Four teams to return none of last year’s production. It’s been a rebuild for 10-year Knights coach Johnny Dawkins, who claimed a 6-0 run over 39 years against either Kansas or Self as a coach or player until a 99-48 loss in Orlando last January.
TWO KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
DARRYN PETERSON, KANSAS GUARD
The what-if for the Jayhawks has been Peterson’s availability, with the projected 2026 first-round NBA Draft pick appearing just four times for KU so far this season. Peterson briefly returned for wins over Missouri and N.C. State, but exited the latter contest with hamstring tightness in the second half. Self has plenty of firepower outside of Peterson, but the fact remains that the Jayhawks are a lethal force with him on the floor. In four games, Peterson (19.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.8 apg) is shooting at 52%, and KU is beating opponents by an average of 37.5 points when the freshman is available.
THEMUS FULKS, UCF GUARD
Fulks, a fifth-year senior transfer from Milwaukee, has placed himself at the center of almost everything the Knights do on the floor. Fulks ranks fourth in the country with 7.2 assists per game, and is on track to set the school’s single-season assist record held by Sinua Phillips with 183 (1991-92). Fulks earned his first double-double as a Knight against Oakland (11 points, 10 assists) on Nov. 17, and set a career-high 13 assists against Quinnipiac on Nov. 25. Fulks transferred in alongside starting senior guard Jamichael Stillwell (12.6 ppg) from Milwaukee last offseason.
TOP STORYLINES
FORMER KU COMMIT ON THE COURT FOR UCF
Former KU commit Riley Kugel (13.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.5 apg) made UCF his third stop after spending two seasons at Florida and another at Mississippi State. Kugel is the Knights’ second-highest producer behind junior forward Jordan Burks (13.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.7 apg), and dropped double-figure scoring performances in his first seven games as a Knight.
BIDUNGA-BURKS MATCHUP
In addition to a range of shooters across both sides, Burks and Flory Bidunga (14.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.2 bpg) will make for an interesting matchup at the five. Bidunga is second in the Big 12 with 29 blocks (32nd nationally), and serves as a tough test for anyone at 6-foot-10 and 235 pounds. Burks comes to UCF from Georgetown, where he earned 11 starts and finished 68.4% from the free-throw line last season.
PREDICTION: KANSAS 78, UCF 71
Even without Peterson, it’s safe to bet on the Jayhawks as the longer, quicker basketball team. Aside from just the margins, The more-tested club, KU’s non-conference slate included the likes of Duke, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Factor this alongside Peterson’s recovery, which hinges on whether he’s “100%” in the eyes of Self (and his family) then there’s no doubt he should come out roaring in his first conference game. Bidunga and Melvin Council Jr. have stepped up tremendously and will make it a long day for UCF defensively on Saturday if KU can get downhill. It’s also worth considering that neither program has played a basketball game in 10-plus days, so expect them to come out firing and take this one to a high score at the half. Ultimately, KU’s engine almost doubles with Peterson on the court, so it’s responsible to gauge this one for the Jayhawks.
