Kansas’ Darryn Peterson has been one of the best players in college basketball season — when he has been on the court.
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, that hasn’t happened nearly as much as the NCAA Tournament champion hopefuls might have envisioned.
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Peterson’s inconsistent availability has been head-scratching at times, as he has played in 15 of Kansas’ 26 games this season due to a nagging hamstring injury. He also missed a game against top-ranked Arizona with flu-like symptoms. He most recently subbed himself out early in the second half of Kansas’ 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, and didn’t sub back in after playing 18 minutes.
REQUIRED READING: ‘Learned to play without him’: Kansas’ Bill Self addresses Darryn Peterson saga
Peterson’s participation in games has become a national story in recent weeks, and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said on Thursday, Feb. 19, that he wouldn’t take Peterson No. 1 overall due to the questions surrounding the talented guard.
“There is no team in (expletive) that should grab Darryn Peterson No. 1,” he said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “You cannot do it. The first ability is availability. And my brother, Darryn Peterson, I hope you’re watching because I’m talking directly to him, and whoever — his family members, his inner circle, whatever. What the (expletive) is going on? … This is business. I can’t trust him. You cannot be trusted.”
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The projected No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft is averaging 20 points per game this season on 48.5% shooting and a 43.1% mark from 3-point range. Kansas coach Bill Self said after the game Peterson left due to “cramping,” adding he was disappointed because he thought Peterson was “good to go” pregame.
Former Duke star Jay Williams, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft to the Chicago Bulls, also questioned drafting Peterson at No. 1.
“If I were a general manager, I would be extremely concerned about Darryn Peterson,” Williams said on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Feb. 19. “I don’t question his talent at all. His talent is the No. 1 pick in the draft. But I would take (BYU forward) AJ Dybantsa because I’m not sure about the availability of Darryn Peterson.”
ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt also questioned Peterson’s intangibles on Feb. 18 after Peterson checked himself out of the Oklahoma State game.
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“When the presumed No. 1 player sits out a home game against unbeaten, No. 1 Arizona with the flu after having all these questions and managing minutes throughout the season with other issues, it makes people wonder,” Van Pelt said, “Not about his talent, but about those intangibles that can’t really be measured.”
In a year with multiple high-end NBA draft prospects such as Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Houston’s Kingston Flemings and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, an NBA organization may have second guesses when it comes to Peterson as a prospect given his recent availability. At least, according to some NBA experts around the league.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stephen A. Smith, others weigh in on Darryn Peterson’s NBA draft prospects
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