Kansas Jayhawks freshman Darryn Peterson was having a big game against Oklahoma State last night. But out of nowhere, he checked himself out after 18 minutes. By then, he already had 23 points and two rebounds.
The Jayhawks won the game 81-69. After the game, Jayhawks head coach Bill Self was asked about Peterson’s early exit. It appears the head coach was taken surprise with Peterson’s check out.
“We’ve had this happen more than a couple of times,” Self said. “I didn’t anticipate that tonight at all. I thought he was good to go. But we only got 18 minutes out of him. That’s disappointing because he could have had a really good night.”
Self added that his presence on the court no longer makes a difference to the team, as other players have become conditioned to managing themselves without him.
“One thing about it is that it’s happened often enough that our guys are used to playing without him even though that’s not the way we want to play. That’s certainly something we’re not unaccustomed to right now,” Self said.
Peterson’s availability and Self’s postgame remarks have raised questions in the minds of fans.
“he’s tryna protect his draft stock,” one fan commented.
“This is so weird… I’ve never seen a kid who is projected to be a very high draft pick in the NBA draft not want to play. At least the kid from BYU plays hard (pause) every game,” one fan slammed Peterson while applauding AJ Dybantsa.
“Okay so cut his pay if he only wants to play half the game then he only gets paid half of his nil. Fair ?” another added.
“If I am an NBA gm this dude, despite his talent, has some red flags for sure,” one fan reacted.
“Imagine taking this kid before dybantsa 🤣” one fan wrote.
Darryn Peterson Missing Games Because Of Number Of Injuries
It’s not one injury that Darryn Peterson has missed several games this season. The Jayhawks freshman has missed 12 out of 26 games so far. The reasons have been different, including cramping, a sprained ankle, a strained hamstring, a quad issue and an illness.
Peterson is supposed to be one and done player. But the way things are going, it’s going more like one-half and done. The freshman is expected to be picked first overall in the 2026 NBA draft.
It remains to be seen how Bill Self uses Peterson, knowing he might not be that committed to the team.
Read More News:
Why Is Darryn Peterson Not Playing? Breaking Down Kansas Freshman’s Absence
Who Are Cameron Boozer’s Parents? Inside the Family Behind the 5-Star Forward
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!
