With a contest against Davidson (December 22) separating the Jayhawks from Big 12 play, KU fans will be asking Santa for one thing this Christmas: a healthy Darryn Peterson.
Kansas has navigated the non-conference schedule extremely well, considering the up-and-down path the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has endured. Heading into conference play, the Jayhawks will likely be in a much better position than they were at the start of the season, but the same can’t be said for Peterson.
In his four games, Peterson is averaging 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals, shooting 52.8% from the field. He’s playing well when healthy, and although he wasn't healthy enough to play in overtime at NC State, he contributed seventeen points. They likely would not have won the game without him.
Most understand we probably won’t see him against Davidson on Monday night, and that’s okay. What many skeptics don’t seem to understand is that there’s no incentive for Peterson to shut down his season this early to prepare for the draft. It’s only December, and this is an extremely talented draft class. If he were to shut it down now, other players of similar caliber could impress NBA scouts as the season progresses and potentially leapfrog him by the time the draft comes around in June.
An NBA veteran with a similar early-career path to Peterson is Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. Irving played at Duke during the 2010–11 season and, like Peterson, entered the year as the No. 1- ranked freshman guard in the country. He appeared in only eight non-conference games for the Blue Devils before shutting down for the majority of the season due to turf toe. His name remained atop NBA Draft boards all season, though he began to slip slightly toward the end of the regular season while he was out. Fortunately for Duke, Irving returned during the NCAA Tournament, playing in all three games before they were eliminated by Arizona in the Sweet 16, thanks to a 32-point performance by the eventual No. 2 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Derrick Williams. Irving ultimately became the No. 1 overall pick after further impressing scouts upon his return.
Kyrie Irving’s return was a success, and we can only hope the same for Darryn Peterson, praying that this next round of rehab goes better than the last. If not, it would continue the unlucky trend of Bill Self not having his best players or teams available for potential NCAA Tournament runs. In 2013, the NBA’s No. 3 overall pick, Joel Embiid, was not healthy enough to play in the NCAA Tournament, which significantly hurt the Jayhawks’ chances that season. In 2020, the tournament was cancelled when Kansas was projected to be the No. 1 overall seed. In 2023, KU was a No. 1 seed when Bill Self abruptly missed the NCAA Tournament due to a health scare. In 2024, Kevin McCullar Jr. was unable to play in the NCAA Tournament due to a knee injury. The list goes on, but that is not what this is about.
The plan is likely to have this cramping issue resolved by the time Kansas heads to Orlando for a date with UCF on January 3 to kick off Big 12 action. Fortunately, with the semester break looming, Peterson would have exactly three weeks of downtime (since the NC State game) to rest. It also provides additional time to potentially work out and address this ongoing issue.
If not by then, at least by the time Iowa State rolls into town on January 13. If he still hasn’t returned by that point, new conversations can be had. Whenever the time comes, it can be difficult to insert a player into a lineup during the heart of conference play, but you can bet Peterson will play if available. Until then, KU must sit back and play the waiting game over the upcoming holiday break. Not much else can be done in this situation besides giving him time to rest.
The biggest stressor in this situation might be that, despite all the excitement and buzz surrounding him, the Jayhawks only get one shot with Peterson. It’s not like the NBA, where you can count on a player to be back next season. With one-and-done freshmen, you get a single go-around, and if they’re not healthy and miss it, that’s it.
Luckily for KU, players like Flory Bidunga, Tre White, and Melvin Council Jr. have picked up the slack, and Kansas still projects to be a major national threat regardless of Peterson’s status.
It is uncertain whether Peterson will return for the Jayhawks in the near future, but rest assured, he is doing everything possible to rejoin his teammates before beginning his professional career.
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