KU basketball faces Notre Dame without Darryn Peterson. Here’s a prediction, odds

LAWRENCE

The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team plays Notre Dame on Monday afternoon in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

The Jayhawks (3-2) lost to Duke last Tuesday, while Notre Dame beat Bellarmine this past Wednesday.

Notre Dame leads the all-time series 9-3.

Here is a scouting report and prediction for Monday’s showdown:

Kansas vs. Notre Dame

When/where: 2:30 p.m. Central Time on Monday, MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas)

TV/streaming: TNT

Opponent’s record: 4-1

KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) ranking: 74

Betting line: Kansas is a 4.5-point favorite.

All statistics are from KenPom.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats only include Division I competition.

Notre Dame Strengths

– Elite scorers The Fighting Irish rank No. 23 in effective field goal percentage (59).

– Red-hot from deep: Notre Dame ranks No. 24 in 3-point percentage (40.5).

– Glass-cleaners: The Fighting Irish are excellent at getting offensive rebounds, ranking No. 28 in offensive rebounding percentage (38.9).

Notre Dame Weaknesses

– First real test: Unlike KU, that’s played Duke and UNC, Notre Dame has yet to play a team as good as KU. Notre Dame’s strength of schedule ranks No. 338 in the nation.

– Giving up 3-pointers: The Fighting Irish rank No. 224 in opposing team 3-point rate (41.9).

– Sharing is not caring: Notre Dame ranks No. 294 in assist rate (45.1).

Notre Dame Name to Know

6-foot junior guard Markus Burton (No. 3)

+ Quality scorer (19.4 PPG)

+ Solid 3-point shooter (shooting 35.3% on 3-pointers)

+ Great free throw shooter (shooting 88.9% at the line)

– Not a great passer (2.2 APG)

– Turnover prone (2.4)

– Commits fouls (averaging 3.4 per game)

Game Prediction

Despite the Jayhawks being 6.5-point favorites, I think Notre Dame will give KU some issues.

First, this Fighting Irish squad shoots it really well. If KU isn’t diligent about running shooters off the 3-point line and getting a hand up on Irish 3-point attempts, Notre Dame could get hot.

And that would put more pressure on KU offensively. As KU guard Melvin Council noted Friday, the Jayhawks struggle to score in the half-court without Peterson. So Kansas is reliant on scoring in transition.

As Kansas showed vs. Duke, that’s not a reliable source of offense. On top of that, Notre Dame rebounds well … and KU has struggled to rebound the ball at times this season.

If the Jayhawks allow Notre Dame to get offensive rebounds, you can bet the Fighting Irish will be attempting more 3-pointers. Threes made from offensive rebounds would be both demoralizing and deadly for KU,

I think Kansas will win this one, but I also expect it to be an ugly game.

Kansas 73, Notre Dame 69

Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Notre Dame (+4.5)

Shreyas’ season record: 4-1

Shreyas’ record against the spread: 4-1

KU Player to Watch: Kohl Rosario

Rosario made his presence felt at times against Duke but finished with a modest stat line: four points and two rebounds.

Rosario is touted as a shooter, but he has yet to show that ability in games. He shot 2-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-5 on 3-pointers, against the Blue Devils. For the season, he’s shooting 29.2% from deep.

KU coach Bill Self recently mentioned that the game hasn’t slowed down for Rosario, which is evident when he shoots. He’s missing badly.

Problem is, without Peterson KU’s half-court offense is not great. And that deficiency is exacerbated because Rosario can’t hit his shots.

This week’s tournament presents the perfect opportunity for Rosario to get a lot of reps in a short period of time. The Jayhawks will play three games in about four days, which could help him find his rhythm.

This story was originally published November 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

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Shreyas Laddha

The Kansas City Star

Shreyas Laddha covers KU hoops and football for The Star. He’s a Georgia native and graduated from the University of Georgia.