It has been a tale of two seasons for Kansas this year, a season where Darryn Peterson is on the court and making unbelievable plays for the Jayhawks, and a season where Peterson is pulling himself out of games and struggling with injuries.
It certainly has not been the season Kansas fans were hoping for, Darryn Peterson, just like it hasn't been the season the freshman was hoping to have for himself. In an interview with ESPN, Peterson shared that even though he isn't on social media that much, he is hearing the noise around him.
"Everybody's got an opinion on it," Peterson told ESPN's Myron Metcalf. "But basketball is my life. If I could have been out there every game this year, I would have."
There is no question that Peterson loves the game, but it has seemed very suspicious when he pulls himself out of games constantly. However, Peterson is setting the record straight that he plans to be out on the court helping the Jayhawks make it to a National Championship in March.
The main problem, though, is that with Peterson in and out of the lineup so frequently, building chemistry with his teammates has not been so easy on the court. Peterson is a generational talent, but he isn't the only guy on the court in a Kansas uniform.
Bill Self time to get Kansas ready for March is dwindling
Peterson's unknown availability is not just a problem in the sense that his talent isn't on the court when he isn't, but it also means he isn't able to gel with his team consistently. There are two Kansas teams right now, one with Peterson and one without, and even head coach Bill Self knows that.
"I think that it's a two different teams mindset when Darryn has been healthy because the guys all want him to do well and the guys know he's gifted, but still, I think they take away some of their own personal aggressiveness when he's out there," Self said after the Arizona win.
The regular season is quickly coming to an end, and once the team gets to March, it will be win or go home, and with the way the Jayhawks are playing right now, they could be going home sooner than they would like.
Peterson has the chance to be a major factor in the success of Kansas this season, but he has to get this availability thing under control. His comments to ESPN show he wants it too, but as the age-old saying goes, actions speak louder than words.