The University of Arizona Suffers its First Loss of the 25-26 Season Against Kansas

The University of Arizona Wildcats have been on a roll this season as they are ranked number one in the nation and broke the NCAA record for best record start to a season. Entering the matchup on Feb. 9, 2026, the Wildcats were 23-0 and looking to take down the No. 9-ranked team, 18-5 Kansas University. 

But Kansas came out booming with freshman Bryson Tiller dropping 14 points within the Jayhawks’ first 22 points before falling silent in the second half, ending the game with only 18 points. Despite his hot hand cooling off in the second half, he still played 36 minutes, playing valuable defense for Kansas and snagging eight rebounds. But Tiller wasn’t the reason why Kansas came away with a surprising win. Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga, who stands at 6’10”, put up a double-double of 23 points off of 8-for-11 shooting from the field and 10 rebounds in just under 33 minutes. 

“Kansas is a hell of a team,” said Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd. “Let’s not make this about Darryn Peterson.” Peterson is the Jayhawks’ star player, averaging 19 points per game for Kansas. “He didn’t play because he was sick. They beat the No. 1 team in the country at home. They did a hell of a job, and their coach did a hell of a job. That should be the story,” said Lloyd. 

Kansas is the first team in the past 30 seasons to beat a No. 1-ranked opponent without a player scoring 20 points or more per game. Melvin Council Jr., Flory Bidgunga, and Bryson Tiller combined for 64 points of the Jayhawks’ 82.

Despite Arizona suffering a four-point loss, some players also had outstanding nights. Freshman Brayden Burries is a Wildcats star who has been averaging just over 15 points per game and is shooting 50% from the field. Burries against Kansas had 25 points, going 9-for-18 from the field. But the Wildcats’ go-to guy, senior Jaden Bradley, who averages 13 points per game and is their playmaker and first option for scoring, had a silent night. He had 6 points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field, lowering his 48% significantly. 

Bradley’s silent night was a huge factor in Arizona’s loss, and their inability to contain their matchups pushed them over the edge. Just a few days later, on Feb. 14, Arizona got upset yet again by No. 16 Texas Tech. 

The Kansas game seemed to have created a snowball effect on the Wildcats, as yet again, a main reason why they lost was that they couldn’t contain their matchups. The Wildcats allowed Texas’s JT Toppin to reach a new career high of 31 points, and they couldn’t contain him off the glass as he grabbed 13 rebounds as well, with seven of them being offensive boards. 

After the two rough losses, Arizona is looking to get back on track against No. 23 BYU on Feb. 18. Arizona has now dropped three rankings and is ranked number 4 in the nation due to the two losses. The Wildcats are predicted to win the matchup, but it’ll all come down to defense again. If they slow down and contain BYU’s freshman, AJ Dybantsa, who is averaging 24 points for them, Arizona will come out on top.