The Kansas Jayhawks are taking on the Iowa State Cyclones at the Hilton Coliseum. Their star guard, Darryn Peterson, after initial doubts about his availability, was cleared to play hours before the matchup.
The Jayhawks have been on a great run recently. They are currently on an eight-game winning streak and are placed third, behind Arizona and Houston, on the Big 12 chart. Kansas boasts an overall 19-5 record.
Heading into the game, with Peterson in the lineup, the Jayhawks might’ve felt confident about their chances of continuing the unbeaten run. Surprisingly, they weren’t prepared for the hostile environment at Hilton Coliseum.
During the team’s shootaround, when Peterson stepped on the floor, the home fans were heard booing him. A video of the same was posted on Instagram by a fan of Peterson. So, why was Peterson being booed by the fans?
There is no specific reason behind the 19-year-old getting booed. The Iowa fans know how dangerous he can be for their team, and it must have been their attempt to throw him off his game by creating a hostile environment.
It’s common for fans to boo their rivals, especially those who can potentially cause a lot of damage in the matchup. So, Peterson getting booed by the Cyclones fans shows that the fans see him as a threat to their team.
He’s been averaging 20.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting nearly 49% from the field. Once Peterson gets going, it becomes very difficult for teams to stop him. Tonight, he hasn’t found his rhythm until halftime.
At halftime, the Cyclones have a 37-27 lead over the visitors. Peterson has only put up five points on the board without a rebound or assist in his 13 minutes.
Bill Self Provided an Update on Darryn Peterson
Peterson is projected to be a top draft pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. In fact, the battle for the first overall draft pick has been locked between him and AJ Dybantsa. So, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding Peterson every time the Jayhawks take the court.
Peterson’s availability wasn’t confirmed ahead of the Iowa game. When Bill Self was asked about the same, he gave a very detailed answer.
“Is he better today? Yeah, he was out there yesterday. Was he full speed? No. Was he full speed today? No. I’m hoping he can be closer to full speed tomorrow, and hopefully, he can be full speed on Saturday,” he said.
As per the head coach, Peterson wasn’t 100% for the game, which could be a reason why he has struggled in the first half.
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