Darryn Peterson has been criticized all year for missing games. He spoke out recently about the issue.
“Everybody’s got an opinion on it,” Peterson told ESPN. “But 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. So all this stuff kind of just happened, but I’ve got to deal with it.”
Peterson has missed 11 of Kansas’ 27 games, while playing fewer than 25 minutes in seven of the 16 others. He was out for the Jayhawks’ upset win over No. 1 Arizona On Feb. 9 and even benched himself in the second half of their game against Oklahoma State last Wednesday.
In the win over Arizona, Barstool Arizona posted on X a clip of an individual potentially texting someone about Peterson’s situation.
“So he’s sick and he didn’t tell anyone in practice and (Kansas coach Bill Self) said don’t half ass it if your gonna play, if not sit. DP said F–k It, I’m out,” the individual appeared to text, per Barstool.
In addition, during Kansas’ loss to Cincinnati on Saturday, where Peterson played 32 minutes, he was seen slowly walking back to a huddle of his four teammates before play resumed late in the second half.
Many fans turned to social media, questioning his effort.
Jayhawks head coach Bill Self didn’t hold back either when expressing his concerns over his star freshman, citing the impact of missed contests when the calendar flips to March.
“I thought we were past it, but obviously we’re not,” Self told reporters. “It’s certainly a concern. You get into the NCAA Tournament, you’re playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak. All it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season.”
Peterson is the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, among a talented freshman crop that includes BYU’s AJ Dybansta and Duke’s Cameron Boozer. But Peterson’s repeated absences are raising questions surrounding that status.
Currently, he’s averaging 19.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the floor. He plays 27.2 minutes on average, down from Dybansta and Boozer’s marks, which both sit over 30.
Despite the criticism surrounding him, Peterson told ESPN his goal for the rest of the season is to give it his all in the NCAA Tournament.
“Let’s do it,” Peterson said. “That’s the goal.”