Kansas Jayhawks star freshman guard Darryn Peterson has taken much criticism because of his limited playing time this season. 

Still, he is considered the best prospect for the NBA Draft in June. That's what CBS Sports projected in its latest mock draft. It picked him as the No. 1 selection over BYU's AJ Dybansta. Here's what writer Gary Parrish had to say about Peterson. ...

"Peterson is, in most evaluators' eyes, the top prospect in this draft and a future face of a franchise -- perhaps of the entire NBA. But the first few months of his freshman season, the way he's been in and out of the lineup without great explanations, have raised some questions with decision-makers that will need to be addressed in the pre-draft process. Regardless, the talent is the talent -- and, ultimately, Peterson's undeniable gifts should make him the first player selected."

THE LATEST BIG 12 SEEDINGS 

Kansas sits in a position to secure a double bye in the Big 12 tournament, and if the regular season ended today, the Jayhawks would enter the conference postseason as the No. 4 seed.

Kansas is 11-6 in Big 12 play, tied with Iowa State for fourth in the standings. However, the Jayhawks hold the tiebreaker based on winning percentage against the conference’s top team. Kansas split its season series with Arizona, the current No. 1 team in the league, going 1-1. Iowa State lost its only matchup with Arizona and is 0-1 against the Wildcats. That edge currently places Kansas ahead of the Cyclones in the standings.

Arizona leads the Big 12 at 15-2, followed by Houston at 13-4 and Texas Tech at 12-5. Those three teams join Kansas as the projected top four seeds in the conference tournament bracket. All four would receive double byes directly into the quarterfinals.

Behind the Jayhawks, Iowa State would enter as the No. 5 seed at 11-6. TCU sits sixth at 10-7, followed by UCF and Cincinnati, who are both 9-8. UCF holds the tiebreaker there based on its win against Texas Tech, the current No. 3 team in the standings.

West Virginia (8-9) currently sits ninth and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over BYU (8-9). Colorado (7-10) is 11th after sweeping Arizona State in their season series, placing the Sun Devils at No. 12 with the same record. Oklahoma State (6-11), Baylor (5-12), Kansas State (3-14) and Utah (2-15) round out the standings.

If the bracket held today, Kansas would begin play Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The Jayhawks would face the winner of a second-round matchup between Iowa State and the winner of the opening game between Arizona State and Oklahoma State.

A win there would likely set up a semifinal matchup against top-seeded Arizona, assuming the Wildcats advance through their side of the bracket. Houston and Texas Tech headline the opposite side of the bracket and could meet in the other semifinal.

While Kansas has had an up-and-down conference season, the Jayhawks remain in a favorable postseason position. As the No. 4 seed, Kansas would need three wins to capture the Big 12 tournament title and build momentum heading into the NCAA tournament later this month.

Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!

It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.

Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com