Darryn Peterson Has a Public Image Problem, and Only He Can Fix It

Kansas basketball freshman Darryn Peterson made national news this week following the Jayhawks’ 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday.

In the win, Peterson scored 23 points and went 6-0f-10 from 3-point range in just 18 minutes of game time. It was the kind of performance that would normally be the focus for most college basketball players, but instead, it was his continued inability to play a complete game after he asked head coach Bill Self to send him to the bench just under three minutes into the second half.

It was another frustrating moment for Jayhawk fans in a long series of frustrating moments surrounding Peterson’s availability this season.

But after seeing what happened against Oklahoma State, a lot of the talk has now shifted from questioning his health to questioning his desire – and those are two very different things with very different potential consequences for Peterson.

The Issue at Hand

Despite the limited playing time this year, Peterson has proven that his talent negates any type of current “injury-prone” label he may have. Multiple NBA scouts have said as much when talking about his draft prospects.

Even when he’s not 100%, he’s still able to drop 20 points in a single half and be a difference maker on the floor. Not to mention, all of his injuries are relatively minor and will heal in time.

But having people question your willingness to play the game is potentially a much bigger concern for Peterson when the 2026 NBA Draft rolls around this summer.

Heart and competitiveness are intangibles that you can’t teach, and they don’t just get better over time like an injury. You either have it or you don’t – and now some are starting to wonder if Peterson has it.

If Peterson were to sit the remainder of the year and say it’s due to an injury, he’d almost certainly go No. 1 in the NBA Draft. But this approach of playing, but not playing a full game, is what is leading to the questions about his drive – and that is what could become the bigger risk to Peterson’s pro prospects.

His camp has done nothing to help the scrutiny he’s facing either, with his agent Darren Matsubara constantly in the crowd looking on. Since the BYU contest in late January, Matsubara has been present at every KU game that Peterson has missed or left early – leading some to speculate as to whether he’s the one secretly calling the shots.

We don’t know if that’s what’s truly happening because neither his agent, nor his family, have confirmed or denied it. And Peterson hasn’t yet spoken publicly about their relationship either.

Self has done all he can to cover for Peterson this year (albeit not always in the best ways), but that’s done little to calm the narratives that have intensified this week as many believe that he is just covering at this point and not being completely transparent about the situation on Peterson’s behalf.

Which is why it’s now up to Peterson alone to quiet the noise.

Silencing the Critics

Peterson has two clear options to shut down the critics: He can either openly address what’s happening, and/or he can start to consistently play close to a full 40 minutes of basketball.

Self mentioned the latter during his press conference on Friday.

Bill Self on Darryn Peterson:

"He hasn't finished games... The bottom line is, there is a way to change the narrative: Play. Finish. That's the way to get people to quit talking." 👀

(🎥: @KUsports) pic.twitter.com/71bbB7sD7q
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 20, 2026

If his agent is the one holding him back and telling him how to manage his playing time, Peterson has the option to refuse him if he and his family think this method is no longer in his best interest. Matsubara needs Peterson more than the other way around.

Perhaps Peterson is unphased by all the talk this week, and maybe his camp is telling him that’s how he should feel with his odds still strong to go No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft this summer – which hopefully does end up happening.

But whether he chooses to acknowledge it or not, the talk is out there, and it will only increase if he continues to sit out – especially during the NCAA Tournament next month.

He has the chance to shut that down once and for all starting this Saturday against Cincinnati.