Kansas star Darryn Peterson captivated the basketball world during the first half of Saturday's 90-82 win versus AJ Dybantsa and BYU, pummeling the Cougars on both ends of the floor. He displayed his smooth brand of offense and also recorded three steals on defense, further solidifying himself as a top-two pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Many people believe he is the clear-cut best prospect in what is being heralded as a generational class. You can add CJ McCollum to that school of thought.
The veteran guard extolled his fellow Canton, Ohio native. “Go to work DP,” he posted on X. “They ain’t got nothing for you.”
He continued to praise Peterson throughout the Big 12 clash. “it’s just different. He the 1 not the 2. Straight face killa. The work is real !!” McCollum does not think the freshman sensation is just any “killa,” however.
“He’s a serial Killer Nate,” the 2015-16 Most Improved Player of the Year said in response to NBA agent Nate Jones. “You know I played with one so I know them well lol ! 330 baby.”
Peterson put on a dazzling show in Lawrence's Allen Fieldhouse. But it was not a very long one. The supremely talented guard spent most of the second half on the bench, causing all the executives and scouts in attendance to wonder what was wrong. This is not the first time he rode the pine down the stretch, however.
Darryn Peterson has missed half the season with various injuries, including an ankle issue that kept him out of action for a Jan. 24 game versus Kansas State. It is unclear if he aggravated it during the BYU matchup, but head coach Bill Self obviously thought it was best to keep his phenom on the sidelines. Peterson finished with 18 points (all in the first half) on 6-of-8 shooting in just 20 minutes of action.
If the 19-year-old can carry a bigger workload during March, Kansas basketball (16-5) could be a national title contender. Can the team and fan base really count on such a scenario given everything that has transpired? It remains to be seen.
Either way, CJ McCollum is already convinced that Peterson is an NBA star-in-the-making.
