Kansas Star Darryn Peterson Brushes Off Media Narratives After Win vs. Houston

The Jayhawks guard dismissed the media narratives surrounding his injuries.

Kansas Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson dismissed the media narratives surrounding his injuries after the win vs. No. 5 Houston. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kansas star Darryn Peterson has been no stranger to the spotlight this season.

Peterson, of course, is one of the most gifted scorers that the sport has seen in recent memory. But his play on the floor has not garnered nearly as much attention as his injury-plagued season, which has featured several games missed and several games where he left early and did not return.

Peterson appeared to be a sure-fire No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, and perhaps he still will be despite the injuries. But one thing’s for certain, Peterson is doing his best to ignore the noise.

“It’s been kind of normal this year. Somebody has had something to say probably after every game this year, so I don’t really pay attention to it anymore,” Peterson said after Kansas’ 69–56 win over No. 5 Houston on Monday night.

Darryn Peterson shares he doesn't really pay attention to the outside noise anymore. pic.twitter.com/kFAlgWoBxD

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Peterson scored 14 points in 30 minutes against Houston. It’s the second straight game and third in five outings where the Jayhawks star has played 30 minutes or more. However, within the recent five-game stretch, cramping cost Peterson minutes in an 81–69 win over Oklahoma State, where he scored 23 points in 18 minutes and appeared primed for a big night. He barely played in the second half as a result of the cramping.

Whether it’s been a pulled hamstring, cramping issues, or even an illness, Peterson has been in the limelight plenty. He’d certainly like to be remembered (and evaluated by scouts) for his play on the court, but the more he asks out of games, the more questions he’ll get both by the media and by scouts alike.

Here’s hoping Peterson’s last two games of 30-plus minutes will be a sign of things to come down the stretch of the season heading into the tournament.

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