The year of Darryn Peterson at Kansas wasn't perfect for the Jayhawks or their fans. Peterson came to Lawrence as a five-star recruit and was meant to be the elevating factor for the Jayhawks to win it all. At times, he was anything but, dragging Kansas further toward chaos than contention.
Head coach Bill Self did everything he could to put Peterson in a spot on the court that worked for the team as a whole, but apparently, it didn't make the new Utah Jazz player very happy. After his first game in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League, Peterson spoke to the media, elaborating more on how he is feeling at the next level now and how it differs from his time at Kansas.
"I’m back having fun. I wasn't really experiencing it that much at Kansas," Peterson said. "I was off [the ball] a ton, so just, I feel like myself again. Being on the ball, that's what comes with it - being double-teamed and different coverages, so keep adjusting."
Darryn Peterson to @swishcultures_ post Vegas summer league debut: “I’m back having fun. I wasn't really experiencing it that much at Kansas. I was off [the ball] a ton. … I feel like myself again. Being on the ball, that's what comes with it - being double teamed” pic.twitter.com/MwofOjphQ2
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 10, 2026
Given the way Peterson answered, the question had to be about what it feels like to be on the ball again at the point guard position. At Kansas, Peterson played more on the wing as a shooting guard, being the focal point of scoring for the Jayhawks, but clearly, he felt he wasn't being used the way he should have, and whether he meant to or not, he took a sly shot at Self.
Darryn Peterson's role at Kansas wasn't all about him
It feels a bit ironic for Peterson to speak about 'having fun' again, being on the ball. While he wasn't playing in that position a lot at Kansas, he was playing a position that worked for the betterment of the team, not just his personal glory.
While Peterson is a phenomenal talent, and when he was actually on the court at Kansas, clearly the best player, he still has a role to play. Being off the ball was a decision the coaching staff made, spearheaded by Self as the head coach. This wasn't all about him, even though many times he was the one many of his teammates were looking to get the ball to in order to score.
Peterson has great on-ball talent as a point guard, seeing things on the court and making moves to get to the basket, but that wasn't what Self needed from him in Lawrence. With the cramping problems and a few injuries, Self could rely on Peterson to be the sole point guard at times.
Sometimes it truly was a wonder if Peterson would finish a game every night or not. How could Self trust that he would be there to help get the offense started or not? So, the option to play Peterson off the ball in the end felt like a smart one, especially with his lack of availability at times.
Some may say the way Peterson is thinking about desperately always wanting to play on the ball is a bit selfish, and they probably aren't wrong, but now it is the problem of the Utah Jazz, not the Kansas Jayhawks.
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