Kansas men's basketball took down No. 5 Houston last night at Allen Fieldhouse in dominant fashion. Jayhawks freshman guard Darryn Peterson was available to the media postgame and was asked about the recent criticisms and narratives surrounding him and his availability.
Peterson has missed 11 games this season due to a hamstring injury, an ankle sprain, and sickness, and has failed to finish multiple games because of cramping. This has led to lots of criticisms and narratives online. He posted 30 minutes in last night's win and finished the last two games with a full rotation. Here's what the freshman had to say about the criticism.
“Somebody has had something to say probably after every game…I don’t really pay attention,” Peterson told reporters Monday postgame. “I kind of have been an anti-social loner my whole life.”
Peterson talked about the recent struggle of missing games in a recent interview with ESPN's Myron Medcalf, saying:
“Basketball is my life. If I could have been out there every game this year, I would have. If you would have asked me last year, what were my goals for this year, I would never mention missing games.”
Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 gave his take on the Peterson situation on social media saying:
"Here's what I will see about Darryn Peterson:
Talk to anyone who has coached him, or worked with him, and they will all say he's a great kid with terrific work ethic. They will say the same thing on or off the record.
He's a kid who doesn't love the attention, doesn't show much emotion, and is one of the last kids I would have expected to go through something like this. The kid was an absolute killer on the court in AAU and at Prolific Prep.
My gut says what started out as a physical issue (hamstring, cramps) led to something that has plagued him mentally.
While NBA execs are obviously concerned, they also won't overlook his talent. The medical tests will be important - as will the interview process. And while there are now questions about him going No. 1 overall, most of the NBA guys I have talked to still say they would take him No. 1."
Despite the recent narratives, Peterson has blocked out the noise, finished his last two games, and is ramping up his game towards March.
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