KANSAS

National Media Rips KU’s Darryn Peterson After Yet Another Early Exit

The national media was not kind to Kansas guard Darryn Peterson after the freshman star appeared to take himself out of the game in the second half versus Oklahoma State.
Dillon Davis|
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Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas basketball guard Darryn Peterson continues to make national headlines, but this time it’s not for good reason.

Peterson was a hot topic of conversation on Thursday among several major sports broadcast shows after the star freshman appeared to take himself out of the game during KU’s win over Oklahoma State (81-69) in Stillwater on Wednesday night.

In the first half, Peterson looked every bit the star player that he is, scoring 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from 3-point range.

But after draining a 3-point shot in front of the KU bench just over two minutes into the second half, Peterson gestured toward head coach Bill Self to remove him from the game, despite not appearing to have suffered any sort of injury. Peterson did not return to the game after that point, finishing with just 18 minutes of playing time.

On ESPN’s morning show Get Up, college basketball analyst Jay Williams said, “If I were a general manager I would be extremely concerned about Darryn Peterson. I don’t question his talent at all; his talent is the No. 1 pick in the draft. But I would take AJ Dybantsa because I’m not sure about the availability of Darryn Peterson.”

MORE: Kansas Guard Darryn Peterson’s Availability Ultimately Matters in March

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took those sentiments a step further on First Take.

“There is no team in hell that should grab Darryn Peterson at No. 1,” Smith said. “You cannot do it … I can’t trust him. You (Peterson) cannot be trusted.”

The ESPN analysts are two of many who have been outspoken about Peterson’s decision. Dan Le Batard and the TNT Sports crew also had some harsh words for the young superstar.

These narratives of his desire, heart, and toughness are likely only going to grow louder if we keep seeing instances of Peterson missing significant amounts of playing time heading into the postseason.

Peterson has played in just 15 of KU’s 26 games this season. In seven of those appearances, he played less than 25 minutes – yet has still managed to score an average of 20.0 points per game. That statistic alone embodies the frustration that many are feeling with what’s happened with Peterson this year.

He’s likely the most talented player in college basketball and the most talented freshman that KU has had this century, but we’re not getting to see the full picture of his talent and we’re not getting to see the full potential of this team as a result of his absences.

It’s frustrating for all who can appreciate the generational talent we’re witnessing before our eyes. But at this point, Peterson is the only one who can quiet the noise by showing up and being the player that he can be for a full 40 minutes.

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Dillon Davis
DILLON DAVIS

Being a Kansas Jayhawks fan was never a choice for me. I grew up in Topeka, Kansas, surrounded by a family full of Jayhawks. I was even born during a Kansas basketball NCAA Tournament game, so I guess you could say it was fate for me to be a Jayhawk too. When it came time for me to go to college, there was only one place I applied and only one place I wanted to go – KU. I've since turned that passion into sports writing. I've written about KU sports for more than seven years and produced hundreds of KU news articles in that time. I love storytelling, I love KU and I love interacting with my fellow Jayhawks. Rock Chalk!

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