There is no questioning the ability of Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, whom many believe is the frontrunner to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. But there are — and will continue to be after yet another early exit Wednesday in an 81-69 victory over Oklahoma State, in which he did not appear in the game’s final 17.5 minutes — questions about his availability, which now linger as the biggest hindrance to KU’s national title hopes.
It’s not just that he has played in 15 of KU’s 26 games this season, owing to quad cramping, a hamstring strain and an ankle injury. It’s that of those 15 appearances, he has now also left early in three games — BYU, Iowa State and most recently the OSU game. He was also a stunning last-minute DNP last week vs. No. 1 Arizona due to flu-like symptoms despite participating in warm-ups. (Kansas won the game without him, 82-78.)
Up until Wednesday, Peterson’s various ailments and injuries were largely defensible, even if defending him seemed increasingly hard to do. The ankle injury looked significant enough to warrant a missed game. The hamstring injury was absolutely legit, KU coach Bill Self emphatically mentioned earlier last week. And let’s extend some grace and say the flu-like symptoms were bad enough to miss a home game vs. the No. 1 team. Fine.
Peterson tapping himself out Wednesday vs. Oklahoma State and checking out with 17:22 remaining — and never seeing the floor again — reached the point of indefensible. Postgame, even Self seemed like he was fed up trying to fend off detractors.
“I didn’t anticipate that tonight at all,” Self mentioned, noting that Peterson tapping out for games has happened more than a couple of times at this point. “I thought he was good to go. But, obviously, we only got 18 minutes out of him.”
Self mentioned squeezing 18 minutes out of Peterson was “disappointing,” because, well, duh; he is a spectacular, game-changing talent when available. He finished the game with a team-high 23 points despite playing the sixth-most minutes of the eight Jayhawks who appeared in the game.
But it is also disappointing because Peterson’s availability, or lack thereof, is undeniably obstructing the team’s ability to have any semblance of continuity. It’s hard to plan for the next half, much less the next game, when you don’t know if your best player is going to have a cramping episode. (To say nothing, of course, about the inevitable distraction his saga has become.)
Self’s positive takeaway from Peterson’s extended absence to end the game laid bare the dire situation in which his best player has stuck him. The only good thing about Peterson being unavailable, Self mentioned postgame, was that KU’s roster has gotten used to the will-he-or-won’t-he play sideshow.
“One thing about it is that it’s happened often enough that our guys have learned to play without him, even though that’s not the way we want to play.” Self mentioned. “But that’s certainly something that we’re not unaccustomed to right now.”
That’s not only a sub-optimal situation for Self and his staff, but all of this also feels unsustainable. You have a superstar player checking out of games unexpectedly, and — fair or not — appearing to quit on his team. Self juggling this without a full-blown locker room mutiny is but a minor miracle.
Self mentioned after the game Peterson was going to come out regardless of whether he buried the 3-pointer with just over 17:30 remaining in the second half. He also mentioned he was wholly unaware that he was going to be done for the night. Even for a Hall of Fame coach in Self, this feels like an inflection point.
Compare it with the situation in the SEC across the country Wednesday, where Arkansas guard Darius Acuff scored 49 points and played a team-high 50 minutes despite wearing a walking boot in the two days leading up to the game, and it’s hard to come to any conclusion other than Peterson is more interested in protecting his draft stock than playing for his team.
But what is Self’s recourse here, really? There are five regular-season games and KU is in the Big 12 title hunt. Sit him, and you risk losing Peterson. Whose to say he wouldn’t just shut himself down? Play him, though, and you might continue inviting the circus into your own locker room. He’s been productive, to be clear, but the numbers also suggest KU might be better off just rolling with the players who clearly want to play.
| Total net rating |
14.4 |
13.3 |
+1.1 |
| Offensive net rating |
116.1 |
114.3 |
+1.8 |
| Defensive net rating |
101.7 |
101.0 |
+0.6 |
If Peterson’s inability to finish vs. BYU on Jan. 31 was a red flag, his 24 minutes Saturday vs. Iowa State simply elevated the alarm bells, though Self mentioned the ISU game curtain call was his own doing. Eighteen minutes Wednesday vs. OSU — and tapping out with 17:22 remaining — is a five-alarm fire that can no longer be ignored.
“I thought we were past it, but obviously we’re not,” Self mentioned. “It’s certainly a concern. You get into the NCAA Tournament and you’re playing a team just as good as you, you need to have all your best players available. All it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season. So yeah, it’s concerning.”
