Kansas Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson will be one of the most scrutinized prospects during the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Peterson has courted controversy throughout the season due to persistent cramping and injury issues that have caused him to withdraw from the second halves of several games and miss 11 Kansas games entirely.
Stephen A. Smith Challenges Darryn Peterson to Deliver in March Madness
Peterson has been in the spotlight due to his status as one of the favorites to be the No. 1 pick during the 2026 NBA Draft later this year.
During Thursday’s segment of “The First Take”, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, who has been highly critical of Peterson in the past, challenged the Kansas star to show the college basketball and NBA-watching audience his talent during the Big Dance.
“I’m definitely rooting for him,” Smith said. “If Darryn Peterson is watching, I want this brother to go out there and show us how all-world he is on the biggest stage. As great as he has been in moments this year, we haven’t seen that from him consistently. We know how great he is. We’re talking about that commitment to excellence.
“We haven’t seen somebody that we’ve been willing to say, ‘Over the course of 82 games in the regular season in the NBA, this could be the face of our franchise.’ When we talk about the great ones, the Kobes, the MJ’s, the LeBrons and Steph Curry, is the models of consistency that they have been. That their work ethic is never questioned.”
Since controversially appearing to substitute himself out of the Kansas’ game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys last month, Peterson has played seven consecutive games, and his persistent cramping issues seem to have been dealt with ahead of Kansas’ March Madness journey.
During an interview with CJ Moore of The Athletic on Thursday, Kansas head coach Bill Self dismissed speculation about Peterson’s lack of commitment to the program amid rumors about load management by the Kansas star.
“I think it’s been a hard year for him, and a lot of it’s been because obviously his body didn’t feel as well. That’s all legitimate,” Self said.
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“But also the narrative that some people put out, not believing that he was struggling? His body was not cooperating. And I think that was hard on him, even though I don’t know that he would admit to it.”
Despite the storm of criticism that he has faced this season, Peterson is averaging 19.8 points on 44.2% shooting from the floor and 38.4% shooting from beyond the arc, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists for the Kansas so far.
