Kansas’ Darryn Peterson Remains a Must-Watch Talent Amid Ongoing Availability Questions
With March Madness just around the corner, the spotlight is growing hotter on Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson - and not just for his game. His on-again, off-again availability has become one of the more talked-about storylines in college basketball, sparking curiosity, concern, and plenty of conversation from analysts and fans alike.
“When he plays, you can’t take your eyes off him,” said ESPN’s Jay Bilas during Saturday’s College GameDay broadcast from McKale Center. And he’s not wrong - Peterson has that kind of presence.
The kind where every possession feels like it might turn into a highlight reel. But with just six regular-season games left for No.
9 Kansas, the question of when he plays has become nearly as compelling as how he plays.
Peterson was back on the floor Saturday in Ames, Iowa, for his 14th appearance of the season - a road matchup against No. 5 Iowa State.
He finished with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting in a 74-56 loss, his lowest scoring output of the year. He added two made threes (on six attempts), hit both of his free throws, but also recorded zero assists and three turnovers in 24 minutes.
He didn’t play in the final seven minutes of the game, with head coach Bill Self opting to look ahead to Wednesday’s road test at Oklahoma State.
It’s been a frustrating stretch for Peterson, who has now missed 11 games due to a mix of injuries and illness - hamstring tightness, cramping, a sprained ankle, and most recently, flu-like symptoms that kept him out of Monday’s win over top-ranked Arizona. Self explained that decision came directly from the team doctor just before tipoff. “Bill, he’s not going to be able to go,” the doctor told him.
Despite the interruptions, Peterson’s body of work speaks loudly. The 6-foot-6 guard out of Canton, Ohio, is averaging 19.8 points per game on 47.9% shooting, including a red-hot 41.3% from three (38-of-92).
He’s also hitting nearly 80% from the line and pulling down 3.9 boards per contest. Defensively, he’s chipped in 17 steals and seven blocks.
The assist-to-turnover ratio isn’t sparkling - 22 dimes to 24 giveaways - but that’s not uncommon for a high-usage freshman still adjusting to the speed and physicality of the college game.
Since a 26-point explosion against Baylor back on January 16, Peterson’s scoring has been steady, if not quite as electric: 16 at Colorado, 18 against BYU (all in the first half), 19 at Texas Tech, 14 versus Utah, and 10 at Iowa State. Over his last three games, he’s shooting just 36.1% from the field and 33.3% from deep - a bit of a dip, but nothing that suggests long-term concern, especially given the stop-start rhythm of his season.
Still, the inconsistency in availability has opened the door for speculation. Some analysts have wondered aloud whether Peterson is being overly protected - either by the program or by those close to him. ESPN’s Seth Greenberg acknowledged the difficulty of stacking multiple legitimate injuries and illnesses, noting that while each issue is real, the cumulative effect can raise eyebrows.
Greenberg also didn’t hold back on Peterson’s upside. “He makes shots that guys make in the NBA - guys like the names of Jordan, Wade, and Kobe,” he said. “And when he’s healthy, and I think he will be healthy, he could end up leading this team to a Final Four.”
Jay Williams, another GameDay analyst and former Duke standout, took a different angle - not questioning Peterson’s love for the game, but wondering if he’s shown the kind of relentless, play-through-anything mentality that defines some of the game’s greats.
“Even if you hear some of the stories, like, if it was the flu, you’re going to have to take me off that court,” Williams said. “Maybe because I’ve been around guys like Gilbert Arenas or Kobe - I see them play sick all the time. That’s just how I feel about it.”
Self, for his part, pushed back on any narrative that Peterson is being held out unnecessarily. “The narrative (of load management) is B.S. in many ways,” he said Thursday.
“Was his hamstring legit? Hell yes.
Would you risk injuring it more in November? No.
Was his cramping legit? Yes, positively.
Did he turn his ankle bad (at Colorado) to the point where he couldn’t practice for nine days, and then practice one day and play against BYU? Yes.
And then, of all things, he gets sick.”
In Self’s view, Peterson’s season has been less about caution and more about a string of bad luck. And that’s not hard to believe.
The injuries have been visible. The talent is undeniable.
And the stakes - with Kansas sitting at 19-6 overall and 9-3 in the Big 12 - are only getting higher.
Peterson remains one of the most electric freshmen in the country, a player who can shift the momentum of a game with a single pull-up three or a strong finish at the rim. But as the calendar inches closer to March, Kansas will need more than flashes. They’ll need consistency - in performance, yes, but also in presence.
Because when he’s out there, you really can’t take your eyes off him.