Kansas star freshman shooting guard Darryn Peterson has had an up-and-down season marred by injuries. After missing 10 of his first 20 games of the season, it felt like the young shooting guard was starting to get into a rhythm.
Peterson, since missing the game against Kansas State with a sprained ankle, had to leave the game against BYU because of cramps yet again this season. However, he played a season-high 35 minutes against Texas Tech, a game Kansas desperately needed him in.
With the regular season getting closer to coming to a close, end of the season awards are narrowing their lists down to 10, including the Jerry West Award. This award is given to the best shooting guard in the country, and while it seems like Peterson, who is the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, should be a lock for the award, that may not be the case.
Peterson will be going up against some very talented shooting guards for this award, players who are the leading scorers for their teams and play a game similar to Peterson's. The biggest difference is that the other nine guys have dealt with as many injuries as Peterson has.
The 2026 Jerry West Award candidates 🤩 pic.twitter.com/MKz6Q3Klgc
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 3, 2026
While the injuries should't be the reason Peterson doesn't win the award, it is a real possibility that it could play a factor. Many of these guys have played 20+ games this season, while Peterson has played just 12.
Even though his numbers look amazing, averaging 21.1 points a season, with that many fewer games played, the awards committee could choose to give it to a player that player a more full season. Peterson is not out of the running altogether, but he may need to put up some more impressive numbers in upcoming games to secure the prestigious award.