Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson returned to the floor this weekend after an 11-game absence and a bout with flu-like symptoms that kept him out of last week’s showdown against No. 1 Arizona.
But his return wasn’t quite the headline performance fans have come to expect. In a tough road environment against No.
5 Iowa State, the highly touted guard logged just 24 minutes and struggled to find his rhythm against one of the Big 12’s most physical defenses.
After the game, head coach Bill Self explained the decision to limit Peterson’s minutes, citing a mix of game flow, fatigue, and the lingering effects of illness.
“I think it was probably game flow and conditioning,” Self said. “I tried to sub him because he’s been sick.
When he needed to come out there at the end, I was thinking what gives us the best chance to have success on Wednesday. That was just me making that decision.”
Peterson’s limited practice time during the week and the aftereffects of his illness clearly played a role. It wasn’t just about managing minutes-it was about managing expectations for a player still working his way back into form. And against an Iowa State team that thrives on defensive pressure, that’s a tough ask.
The Cyclones didn’t make life easy for the freshman. Peterson was hounded by traps and double teams for much of his time on the floor, and the result was one of his quietest outings of the season: 10 points on 30 percent shooting, plus three turnovers. For a player who’s been a sparkplug all year, it was a clear step back-but one that came with plenty of context.
“I didn’t think he was great, but he hadn’t practiced much,” Self said. “I don’t think he was bad.
I just don’t think anybody was great today, except maybe Elmarko played well. Lack of court time had a lot to do with that.
And they did a good job defending him, too.”
Self’s comments underscore the reality of college basketball’s grind: even elite talent needs reps to stay sharp, and Peterson just hasn’t had them lately. Between illness and missed practices, his timing was off-and Iowa State took full advantage.
Late in the game, Kansas made a push with a lineup that didn’t include Peterson. It wasn’t a knock on the freshman-it was a matter of chemistry and momentum. Self rolled with the five that sparked the rally, including standout Elmarko Jackson, who drew praise from his coach postgame.
“Marko is the best player in the game, so you’re not going to take him out,” Self said. “Other guys are tired.
You’ve got one guy who had a little surgery on Wednesday from an infected root canal. Another guy’s coming off sickness.
I don’t think that had any bearing whatsoever as far as lineup. The only reason anybody would think that would be because of stats.
Those other guys did as good as the guys that were in there beforehand down the stretch.”
In other words, this wasn’t about benching Peterson-it was about riding the hot hand and protecting a player who’s still not at 100%. The Jayhawks are playing the long game, and with Peterson’s talent, they know he’ll be back to form soon enough. For now, it’s about getting him healthy, getting him reps, and getting him ready for March.