Completed Event: Men's Basketball at #13 Texas Tech on February 2, 2026 , Win , 64, to, 61
Final
Men's Basketball
64
at #13 Texas Tech
61
Bidunga and Peterson Named to Naismith Trophy Late-Season Team
2/19/2026 11:01:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas duo of Flory Bidunga and Darryn Peterson have been named to the 30-member 2026 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Late-Season Team, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday.
Bidunga and Peterson are looking to become the third Jayhawk to win the Naismith Division I Player of the Year joining Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason III (2017).
Bidunga was recently named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Top 10. The Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, forward averages 14.5 points per contest and leads KU with 9.2 rebounds per outing. Bidunga has three double-doubles in his last four games, and 10 double-doubles for the season. Named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Feb. 9 and three-time member of the Big 12 Starting Five weekly honor, Bidunga leads the conference with 74 blocked shots, which is third nationally. He is also leading the Big 12 averaging by 2.9 blocks per game, which is third nationally, and with a 65.8 field goal percentage, which is sixth nationally. At 14.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 2.9 bpg, Bidunga is the only player in NCAA Division I to average more than 14.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game.
Peterson, the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 19 and three-time Big 12 Starting Five weekly honoree this season, leads Kansas with a 20.0 point per game scoring average. The Canton, Ohio, guard was named Dick Vitale's Diaper Dandy of the Week on Feb. 12. He has seven games of 20 or more points and has made 44 threes in 15 games played this season.
Peterson's national awards' watch lists include the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, the NABC Division I Player of the Year, and the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy. Additionally, Peterson was recently named to the 10-member Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List. He entered the 2025-26 season as the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year and unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection as selected by the league coaches.
No. 8 Kansas (20-6, 10-3) hosts Cincinnati (14-12, 6-7) on Saturday, Feb. 21. The contest from Allen Fieldhouse will tip at noon and the game will be televised on CBS.
Bidunga and Peterson are looking to become the third Jayhawk to win the Naismith Division I Player of the Year joining Danny Manning (1988) and Frank Mason III (2017).
Bidunga was recently named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Top 10. The Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, forward averages 14.5 points per contest and leads KU with 9.2 rebounds per outing. Bidunga has three double-doubles in his last four games, and 10 double-doubles for the season. Named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Feb. 9 and three-time member of the Big 12 Starting Five weekly honor, Bidunga leads the conference with 74 blocked shots, which is third nationally. He is also leading the Big 12 averaging by 2.9 blocks per game, which is third nationally, and with a 65.8 field goal percentage, which is sixth nationally. At 14.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 2.9 bpg, Bidunga is the only player in NCAA Division I to average more than 14.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game.
Peterson, the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Jan. 19 and three-time Big 12 Starting Five weekly honoree this season, leads Kansas with a 20.0 point per game scoring average. The Canton, Ohio, guard was named Dick Vitale's Diaper Dandy of the Week on Feb. 12. He has seven games of 20 or more points and has made 44 threes in 15 games played this season.
Peterson's national awards' watch lists include the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, the NABC Division I Player of the Year, and the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy. Additionally, Peterson was recently named to the 10-member Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Watch List. He entered the 2025-26 season as the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year and unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection as selected by the league coaches.
No. 8 Kansas (20-6, 10-3) hosts Cincinnati (14-12, 6-7) on Saturday, Feb. 21. The contest from Allen Fieldhouse will tip at noon and the game will be televised on CBS.
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