Kansas Jayhawks freshman phenom Darryn Peterson missed his 11th game of the season earlier this week as the program upset top-ranked Arizona at Allen Fieldhouse to hand the Wildcats their first loss of the year.
It was a great night for Kansas basketball, but the narratives coming out of the contest surrounded Peterson and what’s become a penchant for the star guard to miss time on the floor.
Peterson sat out the victory due to flu-like symptoms, which led to national talking heads criticizing the 19-year-old for his lack of consistent availability.
Bill Self saw the takes on television, as well as social media, and took exception to the narratives surrounding his star player.
“I have gotten on X and read some of the things and narratives that are out there about him, and it’s really not remotely true,” Self said. “The thing about it is, and when you’re honest, people don’t believe you. And when you don’t comment on it, people create their own narratives. And you know what, I do the same thing about things I don’t know about. ‘Well it must be this. It has to be that if they’re not going to talk about it.’ Then of all things, he gets sick. And this is what blows my mind—he didn’t play because he’s sick, isn’t a big deal—but he didn’t play because he was sick and the other games added together, it becomes a big deal in people’s minds. He’s just got a string of bad luck. But he was he sick? Yeah, he’s sick enough where he couldn’t practice.”
Bill Self on Darryn Peterson:
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 12, 2026
"I've read some of the narratives out there... it's not remotely true. Was his hamstring legit? Hell yes. Was his cramping legit? Yes. Did he turn his ankle bad? Yes... He's had a string of bad luck. Those narratives are BS."
(🎥: @JayhawkSlant) pic.twitter.com/DxHwLArwNI
Self went on to add that Peterson tried to work through the illness during shootaround, but was lightheaded after running and the team medical staff ruled him out for the contest against Arizona.
Peterson was back in practice this week, and is hoping to get closer to full speed before the end of the week in order to be ready for Saturday’s massive Big 12 road game against No. 5 Iowa State.
In 13 games this season, Peterson is averaging 20.5 points and 4.2 rebounds on 48.9% shooting overall and 41.9% shooting from three. He’s one of the top prospects in college basketball heading into the NBA draft next summer.
Darryn Peterson’s NBA draft stock remains in eye of the beholder
Could some NBA scouts be scared off taking Peterson with one of the draft’s top picks due to his issues staying on the floor at Kansas? Perhaps.
However, it’s likely that Peterson’s pure scoring ability—the best that the sport has seen in years—will still land him in the top few picks of June’s draft (at worst). Peterson’s last big game was a sizzling offensive performance in a win over BYU and fellow top prospect AJ Dybantsa. Peterson scored 18 first-half points and thoroughly outplayed Dybantsa in a Saturday evening spot that garnered plenty of eyeballs on the television. However, Peterson sat out portions of the second half with cramping, displaying both the good and the bad that has come along with his play on the court this season.
It’s likely that scouts will be taking a long view with Peterson, whose offensive game is NBA-ready now. A hamstring strain, cramping and flu-like symptoms (all of which have sidelined Peterson for portions of the season) seem unlikely to lower Peterson’s draft ceiling beyond the first few selections next summer. He still has a great chance to become the No. 1 pick.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Self Rips Darryn Peterson Narratives: ‘Just Not Remotely True’.
