No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson has the talent to be one of the greatest players of his era, but only if he stays on the court. The freshman missed Monday's 82-78 win over the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats with an illness (per ESPN), marking his 11th absence out of 24 games this season.
Former Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl was honest about Peterson's availability concerns on Tuesday, via TNT Sports.
"I don't think this is going to affect his draft stock. Everybody that I talk to in the league, he still looks like the number one guy," he said. "But if I was coaching in the NBA, I would have some concern. Missing 11 out of 24 games for hamstrings and quad rolls and illnesses, just a long list of different things. My job is to coach the team, my job is to win championships. The general manager is going to make a decision. I would be a little concerned about how tough he is."
Darryn Peterson Comes With Risk
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
When Peterson plays, he looks like he's playing a different sport than his opponents. The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder can score at will, which he showed against the No. 13 BYU Cougars on Jan. 31. He notched 18 points (6-8 FG, 3-5 3-point), three rebounds, three steals, and one assist over just 20 minutes against the Cougars, outscoring fellow superstar AJ Dybantsa (17 points in 34 minutes). The Jayhawks, then-ranked No. 14, won 90-82.
Peterson averages 20.5 points on 48.9 percent shooting (41.9 percent 3-point) with 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals over 27.8 minutes. The Ohio native has played 30-plus minutes just six times.
Kansas head coach Bill Self said that Peterson has been hampered by cramping all season, per the Kansas City Star. Regardless, the 19-year-old's health issues are too consistent to ignore.
If Peterson doesn't play more often over the next few weeks, NBA teams picking at the top of the draft will have to consider his lack of availability when evaluating him. If the 2025 Naismith Prep Player of the Year can't stay healthy for two games a week in college, how will he fare during the 82-game NBA schedule?
Peterson's absence gave his teammates the chance to shine on Monday. Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga and senior guard Melvin Council Jr. each led the squad with 23 points, and Kansas handed Arizona its first loss out of 24 games this season.
Up next for the Jayhawks is a road matchup with No. 5 Iowa State on Saturday.