The Kansas Jayhawks are preparing to take the court against St. John's in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, and some may be wondering how things are in the Kansas locker room. After the closer than it should have been win over Cal Baptist, Darryn Peterson was interviewed after the game, but something seemed off.
Usually, when a player is interviewed by the game, their teammates are all around them, hyping them up, all excited. Now, there were probably some frustrations about Cal Baptist almost making a comeback, but it still makes some wonder why the Kansas team was simply standing behind Peterson stone-faced.
It is something many have taken note of as a potential problem for Kansas this NCAA Tournament, and now Peterson's latest comments could fuel those worries even more.
Darryn Peterson feels his teammates should alway put the ball in his hands after Cal Baptist win
After a slow start to the game, Peterson definitely found his stride vs. the Lancers and even finished with 28 points, leading everyone on the court. Cal Baptist made it close in the end, almost overcoming a 28-point deficit, cutting down to as little as six in the final minutes, but they weren't able to finish the job in the end.
In the final minutes of the game, Peterson didn't touch the ball much, and his latest comments prove it is something he noticed and apparently wants his teammates to take notice of as well.
"We won, so it didn’t really affect us too much, but all the guys know I probably should have had it moving forward, but I got to do better at getting open then," Peterson said.
Asked Darryn Peterson when he didn’t touch the ball much for the last four minutes of the last game. #kubball
— Shreyas Laddha (@shre98) March 22, 2026
“We won so it didn’t really affect us too much, but all the guys know I probably should have had it moving forward, but I got to do better at getting open then.” pic.twitter.com/zRCAWsaP11
It sounds like Peterson thinks that if he had gotten the ball more in the end, the game wouldn't have been so close. There is no way of knowing if that would have been true. While Peterson is an amazing talent on the court, it seems like he isn't incredibly well-liked among his team, but that is also just speculation.
Peterson's season has been an up-and-down one, and at times, he certainly was not one his teammates could count on to even be on the court. So, telling the media that your teammates should know to get you the ball more in those scenarios isn't something that could go over well, and that kind of disconnect could cost Kansas a win at any moment in the NCAA Tournament.
If there are problems amongst the team, Kansas fans hope it doesn't show on the court as St. John's is not a team the Jayhawks can afford to struggle against.