Kansas star Darryn Peterson shook off the immense wave of criticism that he has faced from fans and analysts in the past week to help the No. 14 Jayhawks defeat the No. 5 Houston Cougars 69-56 at Allen Fieldhouse on Monday evening. Peterson played 30 minutes and registered 14 points, 4 rebounds, and an assist.
Ex-ACC Coach Justifies Darryn Peterson Criticism
During Tuesday’s segment of the “Get Up” show, ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg justified the criticism that Peterson has been facing for leaving Jayhawks games early.
“It’s not unfair, it’s reality,” Greenberg said. “Darryn Peterson is a terrific player and I think he loves the game of basketball and he’s a special talent. But when you play against BYU and you dominate the game in the first half and you walk on and take yourself out of the second half without any reason or rhyme, it’s a problem.
“When you play against Oklahoma State, have a great first half, 23 points in 18 minutes and just take yourself out, then that’s a problem. When you have the flu, allegedly and then five minutes before the game, your head coach is told that you’re not playing, that’s a reality, it’s nothing more than that. They need him on the floor.”
“It’s not unfair. It’s reality.” 👀
—@SethOnHoops on criticism surrounding Kansas star Darryn Peterson missing games pic.twitter.com/vLQfUxqsw9
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 24, 2026
Peterson has been plagued by injury issues this season, including an ankle sprain and a hamstring injury, and even missed the Jayhawks’ epic win against the Arizona Wildcats with flu-like symptoms.
The most persistent issue he has faced has been cramping, and in seven of his 17 games played in his college basketball career, the talented guard has not played more than 25 minutes.
Bill Self Admits Kansas’ Adaptation to Peterson’s Absence
During his postgame news conference after the Jayhawks had beaten the Cougars, Kansas coach Bill Self admitted the positive lining from Peterson’s frequent absences from the team.
“Our guys have gotten so much better since the start. And, even playing without [Darryn Peterson] so much, I think in many ways, it’s forced our other guys to grow up,” Self said. “Our ceiling is still well in front of us.
“There’s a lot of great teams out there that are playing really well, and they can still improve and get better, but I think we got a big gap that we can get better. We just got to get everybody healthy and on the same page.”
Four Kansas players scored in double digits during the team’s win against Houston on Monday evening, and the Jayhawks have a commendable 9-2 record during the superstar’s absence from the team.
