Darryn Peterson’s performance Wednesday night was electric. His availability remains the debate.
Hours after the Kansas freshman poured in 23 points in just 18 minutes against Oklahoma State, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith questioned whether Peterson could be trusted as a projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick, citing his recurring cramping issues.
“There is no team in hell that should grab Darryn Peterson No. 1,” Smith said on First Take. “The first ability is availability… I can’t trust him.”
On the court, Peterson once again showed why he is considered one of the nation’s top prospects. He scored 13 points in the first five minutes and finished 6-for-9 from 3-point range, helping No. 8 Kansas build an early cushion in an 81-69 road win at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.
But with 17:22 remaining in the second half, Peterson exited due to cramping and did not return, the latest in a string of interruptions that have included cramps, a hamstring injury and an illness that sidelined him for 11 games earlier this season.
National media and Jayhawk fans have been talking about the issue even after the Kansas win. Some fans have expressed their frustration and fired off some takes about his cramping issues on social media.
Kansas coach Bill Self admitted the issue is lingering.
“We’ve had it more than a couple times,” Self said. “I didn’t anticipate that tonight at all. I thought he was good to go. But obviously, we only got 18 minutes out of him. That’s disappointing because he could have had a really big night.”
Peterson briefly returned in the second half and drilled his sixth 3-pointer before signaling to the bench.
“He was going to come out before he made the three,” Self said. “Then he makes the three and says, ‘Get me.’ I didn’t know that he’d be done, but obviously he was.”
Self later called the cramping “a concern,” especially with March approaching.
“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,” Self said. “All it takes is one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season.”
For now, Peterson remains both dominant and uncertain, capable of taking over a game in minutes, yet still battling to finish one. Kansas is still firmly in the Big 12 race but the question right now is if its best player can stay on the court.