The story of the Kansas Jayhawks’ season has been whether Darryn Peterson will be on the court. Peterson is a lock to be one of the top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, and his performance on the court has shown that. But he hasn’t been on the court, and when he has, it’s been limited, and the trend of leaving games early has caught the eyes of many in the college basketball world.
They took to social media to express their thoughts.
College Basketball World Reacts to Darryn Peterson’s Habit of Leaving Games Early
Peterson suffered from a hamstring injury early on in the season and has been managing it ever since. He’s dealt with an illness and cramps, as well.
After hitting a three-pointer against Oklahoma State, Peterson turned to head coach Bill Self and appeared to ask to come out. He didn’t return at any point in the final 17 minutes and 22 seconds. He still showed out with 23 points in just 18 minutes.
Despite a great performance, one fan ripped into Peterson for leaving the game once again. “Real coaches ain’t putting up with this Darryn Peterson BS. But then again, we don’t have any of those anymore,” said the head coach of DC Assault 16U.
The legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale agreed that the drama surrounding Peterson is getting to be a lot. Peterson is projected by some to be the top pick, but after this college season, college basketball analyst Jay Williams isn’t willing to spend the top pick on Peterson. Vitale isn’t ready to either.
“I totally agree with [Jay Williams] that I also would take the multi talented [AJ Dybantsa] #1 in 2026 NBA draft Darryn Peterson has become a soap opera - Big story is ‘WILL DARRYN PLAY,'” said Vitale.
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman chimed in on the discussion, too, but came to Peterson’s defense.
“1) I don’t believe Peterson is “faking” the injuries or load managing. I just think he has been told the moment he feels anything at all to tap out. 2) I think it’s probably as much a mental issue than a physical one at this point. 3) If he wanted to protect his draft stock, he would have shut it down a month or more ago,” said Goodman.
The NBA is a different beast. If these struggles are happening in college, others are wary of Peterson making the jump, regardless of his limitless on-court talent. Former pros know the drill, and Joe Johnson thinks these actions could drop his stock.
“He’ll be a helluva pro if he can stay healthy. That’s a gamble that these execs going to have to take. His draft stock could drop, for sure,” said Johnson.
Lou Williams had a solid NBA career, and he got in on the discussion, too. “Young fella’s got to set a standard…we can’t do this to the game,” said Williams.
The only way for Peterson to put these concerns to bed is to play consistent minutes. If he keeps performing and can stay healthy, the haters could very well go away.
