ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is known for giving plenty of hot takes on the sports scene, whether it’s about the NBA, NFL, politics, or college basketball. Smith recently offered up some thoughts on the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, which led a former ESPN college basketball insider to speak out.
Stephen A. Smith College Basketball Take Gets Throttled
On Friday, Jeff Goodman, who used to work for ESPN but is now a basketball analyst and co-founder of “The Field of 68,” didn’t hold back when it came to Smith. Goodman headed out to X and posted, “This guy is laughable. Never seen anyone have an opinion on absolutely everything – and so much of it he has zero clue about.”
This is not the first time Goodman has criticized Smith’s opinions; he has aired them about college basketball before. Smith had some pointed thoughts on Kansas freshman sensation Darryn Peterson, who has missed some time this season for the Jayhawks.
In an appearance on the ESPN daily talk show “First Take,” Smith suggested that Peterson “cannot be trusted” by an NBA team. Right now, Peterson is considered a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. “What the hell is going on?!” Smith yelled during his appearance.
This guy is laughable.
Never seen anyone have an opinion on absolutely everything – and so much of it he has zero clue about. https://t.co/NdpoxifarQ
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 6, 2026
ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins also called Peterson’s behavior “embarrassing” and wondered whether the guard really loves playing basketball at all.
After hearing Smith and Perkins rail about Peterson, Goodman tossed in his two cents about the NBA commentators: “We got two guys on here who have probably watched Darryn Peterson play for a combined 10 minutes.”
During the 2025-26 college basketball season, Peterson has been absent from 11 of Kansas’ games due to flu-like symptoms, a sprained ankle, and a hamstring injury. Peterson has also dealt with cramping at times, leading him to leave the court during Kansas games.
But Peterson remains on the radar of many NBA teams at this time. In 19 games of action in the 2025-26 season, Peterson is averaging 19.5 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, 1.6 assists per game, and is shooting 44.5% from the floor.
Whether Goodman’s comments on Smith’s commentary about Miami (Ohio) will alter the ESPN commentator’s words remains to be seen. But Smith will probably still have an opinion or two to offer about the college basketball season as March Madness is underway.
