People are raising questions over Darryn Peterson’s status as the potential first overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft. This is largely because the Kansas Jayhawks’ freshman has missed a large portion of the ongoing basketball season because of a variety of injuries.
Peterson has missed more than 11 games for Kansas this season due to injuries like cramping, hamstring strains, an ankle sprain and other issues. Then there are also concerns, where Peterson checks himself out of the game even when the game is not over yet. This has many people taking their bets on the likes of AJ Dybantsa or Cameron Boozer to go first overall instead.
Amid these rising concerns, football analyst Cam Newton has shared his thoughts on the debate over whether Peterson should go first overall. The former football star spoke in favor of Peterson’s status as first overall, saying:
“I do think it’s a little unfair to Darren Peterson. A natural-born baller, a stud, he a walking bucket. Must see TV when he healthy. Whether he plays another basketball game or not, teams still value potential over anything else. The potential gonna get you drafted. Not what you did in college. He’s going to be drafted high. Let’s cite the source of the people who’s reporting this nonsense. Speculation. It’s all speculative.”
Newton cited examples like Kyrie Irving, Greg Odom and Zion Williamson, who had injuries coming into the draft but still went first overall. Newton said when teams are drafting, they keep potential over injury concerns. Newton also asked not to compare Peterson with Michael Jordan, who used to dominate even while having the flu.
“What are they going to say? The flu. Jordan played with the flu. Yeah, but bro, come on now. That was prime Jordan. Different player with different expectations. We got to stop with that and understand it like, the guy can ball. He’s going to be a lottery pick regardless if he play another game or not. It’s the sources that gets me every single time. And that’s the point.”
Darryn Peterson Speaks About Availability Concerns With Raw Honesty
Darryn Peterson is well aware of the noise surrounding his availability. Having missed 11 of the Jayhawks’ 27 games and playing fewer than 25 minutes in seven of his 16 appearances, some analyst including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has discouraged NBA teams from picking him first overall.
However, Peterson said he is keeping out of the games not by choice.
“Everybody’s got an opinion on it,” Peterson told ESPN. “But basketball is my life. If I could have been out there every game this year, I would have. If you would have asked me last year, what were my goals for this year, I would never mention missing games. So all this stuff kind of just happened, but I’ve got to deal with it.”
Despite him missing so many games, many draft boards still have him at the top but the gap has tightened since with AJ Dybantsa surging in rankings.
Read More News:
Kelvin Sampson Drops Cryptic Review for Bill Self’s Kansas; Darryn Peterson Fires Back
Mark Pope Suffers Strict Action from SEC After ‘MFers’ Comment About Officiating vs Auburn
Darryn Peterson Reveals Way of Dealing With Criticism as Reason for Kansas Choice Becomes Clear
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
