When the No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks take to the court on Tuesday night, primetime against the No. 5 Duke Blue Devils, the nation’s eyes will be on one player, Darryn Peterson. Peterson has shown finesse with the ball in his hand, an innate sense to set the tempo, and an elite ability at pulling up from anywhere on the court, to the point where NBA Hall of Famer comparisons are being drawn to the Prolific Prep product.
The problem? Peterson has hardly been healthy enough to show his skill on the court. Through a string of absences/early removals, which have been tabbed as cramps, stomach bug, precautionary cramping, and, most recently, a tight hamstring, Peterson has missed out on Kansas’ last two games, both resounding wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (77-46), and last Saturday against the Princeton Tigers (76-57). While those games are obviously important, few will be as anticipated as a clash in the great Madison Square Garden, in the State Farm Champions Classic.
Minutes ago, CBS Sports' Cameron Salerno reported that Peterson will be out.
As previously mentioned, when on the court, it is hard to find a better player in the country than Peterson. The former No. 1 recruit in the nation has combined for an elite 60% field goal rate with a 21.5 points per game average, combined with two steals, one block, three assists, and three-and-a-half rebounds.
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With Peterson not back in the lineup for the Blue Devils, that is a hindrance for an offense that has struggled to find its footing without Peterson. Heading into the massive fixture, the Jayhawks have totaled 80.3 points per game, which ranks 114th in the nation. Of course, it is worth considering that Peterson has only seen the court for a total of 50 minutes over just two of the four games Kansas has played so far this season.
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