Darryn Peterson is one of the prospects expected to be a lottery pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. However, Peterson’s troubles with injuries seem to be one of the main hindrances to his cause. The freshman had a slow start to this season and has missed seven consecutive games due to a lingering hamstring injury. This ailment continues to be a cause of concern despite his return for Kansas’ 77-76 win over NC State on Saturday night.
The concern around Peterson’s injury seemed evident after he checked out of the game against NC State with just two minutes remaining. He went over to the training staff to have his injury examined. Head coach Bill Self later informed the media that Peterson was feeling tight.
Former player Jamal Mashburn offered his perspective on this situation during TNT’s postgame coverage. Mashburn was more concerned about how Peterson would handle the situation in the long run and suggested that the Jayhawks should sit him out for the season so that he can avoid aggravating his injury ahead of the NBA Draft. In a panel also consisting of former Toronto Raptors player Jalen Rose, Mashburn said:
“I would consider shutting it down. Because you already sat out a bunch of games, and you come back. we don’t know what the status is, cramps or whatever it is, but I would really consider shutting it down. This kid’s going to play a long time in the NBA. He has to protect himself. I understand you want to be out there with your teammates, but he wasn’t moving well.”
While Mashburn’s suggestion does have a point, executing this could be disastrous for Kansas. The Jayhawks have constructed their roster around Peterson this offseason, and all hopes for postseason contention could fall apart if Peterson were to miss out on most of the action.
The 18-year-old phenomenon was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and earned first-team All-America recognition from several outlets. While he shows reasonable potential to be selected as a first or second pick, the margins could still seem slim, given these concerns. The draft stock for Peterson could fall drastically, costing him millions of dollars.
Peterson is one of the best guard prospects so far from his class. Coach Bill Self has emphasized that he is willing to play Peterson over anyone else, subject to a possible recovery. Additionally, the Jayhawks seem to be in luck as the schedule softens for the team, with just two games scheduled in 20 days.
Melvin Council Jr. Scores Career-High in Game Against NC State
On Saturday, Kansas escaped with a narrow 77-76 win over NC State, thanks to Melvin Council Jr. erupting with a career-high performance. Council scored 36 points and made nine 3-pointers, taking advantage of open looks and carrying the Jayhawks down the stretch.
He also scored the last 13 points during regulation and had one of the highlight moments, feeding Flory Bidunga’s go-ahead dunk with 51.9 seconds left in the OT. Council’s nine 3-pointers are the second most scored by a Jayhawk since Terry Brown scored 11 in 1991 against NC State.
Coach Bill Self was quite pleased with the performance put up by the council. Heaping words of praise for his guard, Self said:
“He was unbelivable. He made hard shots. They dared him to shoot and then when he made a couple, he started looking at a big basket. He was unbelivable. When you look at his entire line, nine threes, seven rebounds, four assists, no turnovers, he played 43 minutes; that’s a pretty good stat line. I’m really happy for Mel. I’m really happy for our team.”
Council finished the game, shooting 13-27 from the floor and 9-15 from deep, with seven rebounds and four assists. Others, such as Tre White, added 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists. Bidunga finished with eight points and 11 rebounds after picking up two early fouls.
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