As one of the Top 25 teams in the AP Rankings, Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks are a shoo-in to reach March Madness. However, the team is currently in crisis with multiple injuries, and there is a lot of drama surrounding star freshman Darryn Peterson, who does not seem to want to play for the team and is just biding his time until the NBA Draft comes along.
Peterson has been leaving games early and missing games due to injury, and these recent absences have prompted many to question his commitment to the team. Analysts and fans believe he is there just to pad his stats ahead of the draft. Head coach Bill Self spoke with The Kansas City Star’s Shreyas Laddha and addressed the team’s ongoing issues.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a team less figured out,” Bill Self admitted. “The teams that we have made good runs with, those guys have been playing together all year long. It’s different when you have an injury, but that injury (typically is) eliminated. It’s different when … it doesn’t eliminate. All it does is linger.”
Self also noted that normally, Darryn Peterson functions well, and when this happens, the offense becomes very aggressive. However, sometimes, Peterson ends up attacking in isolation and does his own thing rather than moving within the system, which often leads to the Jayhawks’ struggles. The coach noted that these two instances have made Kansas function as two completely different teams.
When Peterson is out, Kansas does play well. The Jayhawks handed then-No. 1 Arizona Wildcats their first loss of the season as Peterson was out with an illness. This has shown that when the team sticks to its system and strategy, it can play well.
Insider Says Darryn Peterson Has Turned Off Many Teams With Too Many Question Marks
Initially, many tipped Darryn Peterson to be the No. 1 pick coming into the draft, but the drama surrounding the Kansas star and Bill Self’s struggles with him have left many with doubts in their minds.
According to insider Marc Stein, a top talent evaluator has told him flatly that Peterson should not be No. 1 pick.
“I wouldn’t take Peterson with the first pick. Too many question marks,” he said.
He added that the Jayhawks guard is talented and does have the stats and production, but the problem lies in “everything else.”
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