Kansas star Darryn Peterson had a woeful performance during the No. 3-seeded Jayhawks’ 69-47 loss to the No. 2-seeded Houston Cougars in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Saturday. Despite a 4-5 run to end the season, the Jayhawks were designated No. 4 seeds in the East region.
The 2026 NCAA Tournament will see the best talents in college basketball duke it out for the title, but the availability of the injury-prone Peterson for the showcase event is in question.
Will Darryn Peterson Play in the Big Dance?
Peterson missed 11 games during the regular season, with issues ranging from illness to cramping to an ankle and hamstring injury, leading to widespread discourse around his status as a potential No. 1 draft pick.
In a Mar. 14 interview with Kansas Star reporter Shreyas Laddha, Peterson detailed his intense cramping and finally revealed that he was injury-free and would play in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
“Super excited,” Peterson said. “Throughout the year, my body was holding me back. But to finally feel free out there feels great.”
Peterson has now played 7 consecutive games for the Jayhawks, with no cramping issues hampering his game time and will be available for March Madness. Despite his near constant availability, his shooting has dipped to 36.3% shooting from the floor and 27.3% shooting from beyond the arc during that stretch.
Peterson’s Body Language Blasted by ESPN Analyst
During Monday’s segment of the “First Take” show, ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg criticized Peterson’s body language towards his teammates ahead of the Jayhawks’ Big Dance journey.
“In the Big 12 Tournament, I didn’t like the body language,” Greenberg said. “I’ve been on Kansas all season. I’ve been saying, when Peterson comes back, this is gonna be a different team. They gotta play with him, not through him, but he’s gotta be selectively aggressive. He’s gotta know when he can take over a game.
“I’ve been all in, until I saw the Big 12 Tournament. Whether he was unhealthy, he was not engaged with his team. That team is good enough to make a deep run. That’s the question I have for him, and I’m sure a lot of NBA decision-makers are looking at those things, those nonverbal communications. Who is this dude gonna be [for] 82 games [in the NBA]?”
Should the Jayhawks advance against the California Baptist Lancers, they will face off against either the Northern Iowa Panthers or the St. John’s Red Storm in the round of 32 of the Big Dance, giving Peterson another chance to boost his flagging draft stock.
