When it comes to talent, Darryn Peterson is full of it when he plays basketball, and it is evident that when he is on the court, he makes the Kansas Jayhawks a better team. Peterson is the type of player who completely changes a game plan for opposing teams.
Peterson's talent is what has made him the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft at the beginning of the college basketball season, but that projection could be slipping away from the star freshman. Availability issues and the wonders of his load management now have the sports media questioning if he is worth the risk in drafting him first overall.
On NBA Live, Richard Jefferson, who played at Arizona in his college career and had a long NBA career as well, chimed in on the Peterson situation and warned the star guard that talent isn't the only thing he needs to go No. 1 overall.
"The No. 1 pick in the NBA draft ... that person's supposed to be a franchise leader, a person you can build around," Richard said. "Talent isn't the only thing they evaluate."
"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."@Rjeff24 on Kansas star Darryn Peterson's availability this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/EF2shGUyuU
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 24, 2026
There is no question that Peterson has the talent to make it in the NBA, but talent isn't everything in sports. Peterson has to be a guy who can lead if he is going to be the No. 1 overall pick. He has to be the guy who can take a team that is struggling and elevate them on and off the court.
Right now, Peterson is showing that he is focusing on himself and himself alone if he is load managing, and while his draft stock is important, so is the team he is currently playing on. Kansas has the chance to go and win a National Championship with Peterson on the court, but he has to have chemistry with the other guys out there as well.