There has been a lot of drama surrounding the Kansas basketball program. That drama revolves around the potential No.1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Darryn Peterson. He has had trouble staying on the court due to what he claims are cramps, among other injuries. The other aspect is that he keeps getting questions about what is actually wrong and whether he is sitting out to avoid injury.
On the latest episode of “NBA Today,” the panel was discussing what was happening with Peterson. Richard Jefferson said that he does not know 100% what is going on with Peterson, but despite his undeniable talent, the top pick in the NBA Draft needs to be a leader, and it is questionable that Peterson fits that role going into the draft due to everything that has gone on during his time with the Jayhawks.
“The No. 1 pick in the NBA draft … that person's supposed to be a franchise leader, a person you can build around. … Talent isn't the only thing they evaluate,” Jefferson said.
To his credit, Peterson spoke candidly about the criticism he has received and whether it has been getting to him at all this season as the home stretch gets started.
“It's kind of normal this year,” Peterson said in a postgame press conference on Monday night after the No. 14 Jayhawks' 69-56 upset win at home over No. 5 Houston. “Somebody's had something to say probably after every game this year, so I don't really pay attention to it anymore.”
He has missed 11 of Kansas' 28 games this season, including when he subbed himself out early against Oklahoma State on Feb. 18. The former five-star recruit has dealt with cramps from a lingering hamstring injury all season.
Peterson also added later on that he is very quiet, “I’ve kind of been an anti-social loner my whole life, kind of, so I kind of just deal with it on my own.”
When he has been available for the Jayhawks, he has been incredible. He's averaging 19.9 points with 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 47.2% shooting. He's also shooting 40.2% from 3-point range on the year. How he plays for Kansas entering the NCAA Tournament will be huge for his NBA Draft stock.
