LAWRENCE, Kan. — Stuck on the Arizona bench during the Wildcats’ first Big 12 trip to Allen Fieldhouse last season thanks to a foot injury, center Motiejus Krivas received an idea of what it might feel like to be out on the floor.
He could hear the ear-splitting noise, see the students maddeningly hopping up and down behind both baskets, feel the place literally hopping, the way Allen Fieldhouse is known to be for big games.
It was the kind of environment the Wildcats basically never saw in their final Pac-12 years, the last of which Krivas was a part of as a freshman in 2023-24.
Then, when Krivas finally had the chance to get on the' floor Monday during No. 9 Kansas' 82-78 win over No. 1 Arizona, it was even more than that. Because Kansas was even better than the sixth-place team that knocked off Arizona at Allen Fieldhouse last season, and the fans were arguably even louder.
“Crazy environment,” Krivas said. “The crowd is like their sixth player. It’s really hard to play here.”
Kansas coach Bill Self said he didn’t think the crowd rattled Arizona. The Wildcats did, after all, lead for much of the first half and could have cut the lead to one with 17 seconds left had Kansas big man Flory Bidunga not blocked Brayden Burries’ layup.
Instead, Self said the Kansas fans helped provide some much-needed energy for his guys on a night when Darryn Peterson was scratched at the last minute because of what Self said were flu-like symptoms. Point guard Melvin Council played all but two seconds while even Bidunga bounced around his 235 pounds for 35 minutes. Both players scored 23 points.
"Maybe it was because Darryn didn't play — they would have been excited regardless, but they took ownership of making sure we didn't get tired," Self said of the KU fans. "It's hard to get tired when that crowd's like that."
Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) reacts after scoring during the second half against Arizona, Feb. 9, in Lawrence, Kan.
The potential No.1 pick in next June’s NBA Draft, Peterson’s limited availability has raised eyebrows this season within college basketball — and probably NBA scouts — though he averaged 34.0 minutes in Kansas’ two previous games.
On Monday, Peterson was not listed on the final official pregame player availability report that the Big 12 requires even though Self said "we knew it was 50-50" on Sunday whether Peterson would be able to play.
Under Big 12 rules, players who are considered 50-50 are required to be listed as "questionable" at 7 p.m. Arizona time the night before a game, and if they are still uncertain in the hours leading up to the game, they are required to be listed as a "game-time decision."
Asked why Peterson wasn't on the report before Monday's game, Self said it was "because we thought he'd go ... I thought adrenaline would kick in and he would go," Self said. "He was at shootaround today. You could just tell he didn't feel great, but we were all hopeful that he'd kick in and be ready to go.”
The Big 12 implemented the player availability rule this season largely to increase transparency because of gambling on games. Self addressed the questioner who asked why Peterson wasn't on the report by saying "you sound like you bet on the game, but no, there was no ploy with that at all."
Whatever the case, Lloyd didn't make much of it. He said he didn't even read the Big 12 player availability report and that he found out Peterson wasn't playing only about 10 minutes before the game.
"Guys, Kansas is a hell of a team. Let's not make this about Darryn Peterson," Lloyd said. "He didn't play because he was sick. They beat the No. 1 team in the country at home tonight. They did a hell of a job, and their coach did a hell of a job. That should be the story."
It's possible that Peterson’s absence was actually a good thing for the Jayhawks as it turned out.
"Before the game when they are told Peterson will not play, I think the team sometimes even levels up, they got more united,” Krivas said. “They’re a really good team.”
Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. (14) scores as Arizona's Brayden Burries (5), Motiejus Krivas, left, Koa Peat (10) and Ivan Kharchenkov (8) defend during the first half, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Lawrence, Kan.
Lloyd lightly chastised media for asking about Peterson repeatedly, saying the Wildcats’ loss was about Kansas players and Self — and the Jayhawk fans.
After saying last year at Kansas that there was a “gap” between what Kansas and Iowa State had in their crowds compared with Arizona — though he said it wasn’t an indictment of UA fans — Lloyd this time was complimentary of both.
And he made it clear that it mattered.
“It was awesome,” Lloyd said. “It makes it really difficult to play. You guys (Kansas-area media) need to know it does impact the game, and your fans deserve credit, just like our fans do at home when we're playing in McKale.”
But whether the noise impacted the officiating in a physical game, Lloyd shook it off.
“I honestly don't care how the game's officiated. We should be fine,” Lloyd said. “We’re a physical team, and we're built for it. I'm sure there were some missed calls, but they're probably on both ends. So we’ve just got to move forward and usually the first mantra is 'get tougher.'"
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd reacts to a foul call during the first half against Kansas, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Lawrence, Kan.
Lloyd said in hard-fought, late-season Big 12 games “there’s going to be a lot” going on in the paint and that the Wildcats simply didn’t execute well enough inside.
Entering Monday’s game having made 47 more free throws than its opponents have even attempted, Arizona took 11 fewer trips to the line than Kansas did. Kansas hit 21 of 25 free throws, while UA was just 8 of 14, a 13-point difference that was more than three times the final score's margin.
“We didn't finish at the rim well enough, and usually we're really proficient at finishing at the rim,” Lloyd said. “It's not very often we get out free-throwed. And it's not very often we don't make a higher percentage of our at-rim shots. Kansas gets credit for that.
"If you want to win these games, you've got to deliver. You got to deliver when you get the ball inside, you got to be able to play through physical contact, you've got to be able to be able to play through what you think are fouls, and you just got to keep it moving."
Even on a night when he collected 14 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high-tying six blocks, Krivas appeared to feel similarly. Asked about his blocks, he offered a relatively blank expression.
“I mean, it's great,” he said. “But that’s just a number. I gave up a lot of points and we lost, so it doesn't really matter.”
