Bill Self and Kansas find themselves in all sorts of trouble, as they just suffered a big defeat against the unranked Cincinnati Bearcats. Kansas is ranked eighth as of now. They are the 10th-seeded in the NCAA tournament. Self believes seeds don’t matter as much as matchups do. However, this loss to Cincinnati must have pinched, especially when their star man, Darryn Peterson, played 32 minutes.
Peterson’s talent is clear to one and all. He has been a bright star in this year’s freshman class. Whenever the youngster has shown conviction on the court, he has produced some great basketball.
However, he has struggled with hamstring injuries and cramping all season. Peterson has had very few games when he has played more than 30 minutes, and that has been one of the biggest concerns for Kansas fans, Bill Self, and the NBA suitors. Many analysts and insiders have reported that if these issues persist, his draft stock will definitely go down.
Not just injuries, but many renowned names have questioned his mentality and whether he is even interested in college basketball. This is because in a recent game, Darryn Peterson got himself subbed out and sat on the bench. This also shocked Kansas head coach Bill Self. Many also believe he is more focused on retaining his fitness for the NBA Draft, which is ironic, as he needs to perform for Kansas in order to get his deserved NBA Draft spot. Despite limited game time, he did play against Cincinnati and was underwhelming.
Darryn Peterson had 17 points in 32 minutes with only 4 rebounds and 1 assist. This was not the performance of a guy looking to finish as the No. 1 draft pick, according to many. Similarly, NCAA insider Jeff Goodman called out both Darryn Peterson and Bill Self after an embarrassing loss.
“This season has been such a roller-coaster ride for Kansas fans. But this team has no clue right now how to play with Darryn Peterson, and Bill Self has no clue how to use him while trying to keep him healthy. He looked more passive than he has all season today, despite taking 17 shots,” Goodman shared.
Fans React to Jeff Goodman Pointing Fingers at Darryn Peterson and Bill Self
Fans were furious after Kansas’ another underwhelming display and huge loss.
“I can’t take it any longer…I kinda just want this year over with…we will go on a 9 game winning streak and then get blown out at Iowa State and then at home to a subpar offensive team that we did not force to play bad,” one fan exclaimed.
“He’s very lazy in every aspect of the game and it rubs off on other guys – if he isn’t scoring big he is a negative,” another fan blamed Darryn Peterson.
“Stop with the ‘keep him healthy’ stuff. The cramps are bs. Dude has been pulling himself from games and saying he has the sniffles all year. He’s healthy, he is just in college because the NBA has a dumb rule. He’s collecting his check and moving on,” another commented.
“Rebounding is pretty fundamental, maybe they should try that?” one fan said sarcastically.
“As a coach, I want no part of the Darryn Peterson people. Typical, I got paid, coasting to the NBA draft, I don’t care attitude. I CAN’T,” another claimed.
“Peterson is going to be the main reason Kansas won’t make a big splash in March,” one fan commented.
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