Darrin Peterson worries Kansas … and also makes NBA scouts suspicious
For most scouts, Darrin Peterson remains the favorite to go No. 1 in the next NBA draft … but his physical issues are starting to raise questions. Even on the side Kansas.
Bill Selfhis coach at the Jayhawks, no longer hides his anger about the situation.
“I thought we were past that point, but that’s obviously not the case.”the coach said after the game against Oklahoma State, as Darrin Peterson left his teammates right after halftime next spasms. “Obviously it’s a concern. When you’re in March Madness, you’re playing against a team like yours and you’ve got to have all your best players, so to speak. It only takes one day like that to jeopardize not just a game, but a whole season.”
Because what bothers Bill Self is that less than a month before March Madness begins, his team still hasn’t learned how to play Darin Peterson. Certainly, the guard is very strong, averaging 19.8 points in 16 games, shooting 48%, including 41% from distance, but his teammates lose their aggressiveness as soon as he is present.
The result: Kansas’ record is better when not playing (9-2) than when in uniform (11-5)…
“Have I really had a chance to train you so far?” »
“He’s great, but I said to him, most sincerely, ‘Have I really had the opportunity to coach you so far?’ »Bill Self continued. “Did I have a chance to tell you, ‘Hey, this is totally unacceptable. This is how we do it.’ Did I get a chance to actually text him? »
The technician himself admits that he has to lead two “different teams”, one that relies too much on Darin Peterson and another that relies on his collective strength. He would like to be able to use the aggressiveness of his back to attack “March Madness” with confidence. Except that’s not actually the case.
And NBA scouts and managers have less and less certainty about the prospect, who some now suspect is picking his matchups … or not wanting to “get hurt.” Which he calmly rejects.
“Everyone has the right to their own opinion. But basketball is my life. If I could play every game this year, I would have done it. If you had asked me last year what my goals were for this year, I would never have mentioned the missed games. Everything happened that way and I have to deal with it.”
2026-02-23 17:50:00
