Darryn Peterson didn’t quite finish the dunk, but the message was loud and clear.
Midway through Kansas’ 84-63 win over Iowa State, the freshman guard attacked the rim with something we haven’t seen much of from him in crimson and blue - not once, but twice. Both times, Peterson elevated with purpose, looking to throw one down over a Cyclone defender.
He didn’t convert either attempt, but that’s not the point. The fact that he’s even going for those plays says a lot about where he’s at physically - and mentally - as he works his way through a season that’s tested him more than most.
“I probably wasn’t capable of that in some of the other games,” Peterson said after the win.
That’s not just a throwaway line. It’s a window into the mindset of a player who's been battling a nagging cramping issue for most of the season, not to mention a hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven games. Yet here he is, stringing together his fourth straight appearance - the longest stretch of uninterrupted action he’s had all year - and showing flashes of the explosive, assertive player Kansas fans were hoping to see.
Tuesday night marked Peterson’s first media availability since Nov. 7, and he opened up about what was going through his mind on those two dunk attempts. Part instinct, part statement. That’s how he described it - a mix of natural reaction and a conscious decision to show he’s turning a corner.
And while he didn’t finish either dunk, the intent matters. It’s a sign of confidence, of a player beginning to trust his body again.
Peterson said he felt pretty good against Iowa State, though he admitted he might’ve felt a little better a week earlier in the TCU game. Still, he hasn’t yet been able to finish a game since returning from the hamstring injury in December.
With just a few minutes left on Tuesday, he asked to come out again. Head coach Bill Self said Peterson told him he could probably keep going if needed, but that he wasn’t feeling great.
That’s been a recurring theme. Peterson has asked out of several second halves this season due to cramps.
He’s not hiding from it. In fact, he’s been upfront about how he approaches it.
“My goal when I’m out there is to give it all I got,” Peterson said. “And then if I need to come out, I ask for a sub because I don’t want to be a sore thumb out there. So when I need to come out, I ask for it, but when I’m out there, I try to help the team.”
That kind of self-awareness is rare in a freshman, especially one carrying the kind of expectations Peterson does. He’s not trying to play hero ball. He’s trying to play winning basketball - and that means knowing when to push and when to pull back.
The cramping issues date back to the preseason, when they cost him KU’s second exhibition game. He played in the first two regular-season games before the hamstring strain against North Carolina knocked him out for a month. Since returning, it’s been a gradual climb: appearances against NC State and Missouri, followed by two more missed games before he was cleared for Big 12 play.
Now, for the first time all season, Peterson’s stacking games together - and the numbers are starting to reflect his talent. Through his freshman campaign so far, he’s averaging 21.8 points on 46.7% shooting, along with 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He’s logging 27.3 minutes a night, despite the physical limitations.
It hasn’t been easy, and Peterson won’t pretend it has.
“It was definitely frustrating because I want to be out there with my guys, I want to be out there with Coach [Self] and also for myself at the end of the day,” he said. “But it is what it is, I’ve just got to keep going forward. I’m getting better every day and that’s all I can ask for.”
That mindset - steady, resilient, focused - is exactly what Kansas needs as the season heats up. And if Peterson keeps trending upward, even in small steps, the Jayhawks could be unlocking another level just in time for the stretch run.