Darryn Peterson can’t catch a break. The Kansas Jayhawks star, who is projected to be the No. 1 draft pick, seems less than inclined to spend hours on the court, as he opted to be subbed out in the middle of a game against Oklahoma State. He still managed to score 23 points, but his decision to leave the game raises serious questions about his commitment. Basketball analyst Jeff Goodman feels there is more to it than what meets the eye.

“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. I think it’s probably as much a mental issue than a physical one at this point. Here’s what makes this Darryn Peterson situation even worse. Peterson and his camp have offered no real explanation on what’s going on all season. It’s called terrible PR. Just come out and explain the situation because obviously Bill Self has been and still is trying to protect the kid,” said Goodman, not sugarcoating his feelings.

Well, Goodman is just saying what he is seeing at this point. The aloofness of Peterson is a worrying factor for any team to have. Just look at the game against Oklahoma as he turns to coach Bill Self to ask to be subbed out in the second half.

Darryn played for just three minutes in that particular game before making that call. Now that is a risky proposition to have. In a winning cause, you can rest easy, but what would have happened had the team been struggling?

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Sportswriter Danny Parkins also feels the same way as Goodman and believes Darryn is “getting terrible advice”. And who is the one who is giving this advice? Parkins believes it’s his agent who is in cahoots with the NBA people at a fancy agency.

What’s even more ironic is that even Bill Self is not disclosing the details of exactly what is going on with Peterson. There’s always that mystery surrounding Peterson’s eventual availability, which is omnipresent every time a Kansas game is on the cards.

So what does it do for Darryn’s NBA future? Well, according to sports analyst Stephen A Smith, it doesn’t help Darryn Peterson’s matter at all.

Stephen A Smith Feels NBA Owners Should Not Pick Peterson

Few sports analysts are as controversial as Stephen A. Smith. Smith does not hesitate to speak his mind, and that has been his signature style throughout his career. This time, he has come down hard on Peterson.

“Let me say this. There is no team in hell that should grab Darryn Peterson at No. 1. You cannot do it. The first ability is availability. My brother, Darryn Peterson, I hope you’re watching because I’m talking directly to him… what the hell is going on? You are a college player. There’s 24–25 games, he’s already missed about 11–12. You pull yourself out? You make a J, then look at the coach, ‘I want to get out of here,’ and it’s not the first time he’s done it,” says Smith, weighing in on the whole Darryn Peterson situation.

Well, the Darryn Peterson scenario has indeed been, well, there’s no other way to put it but “odd”. Cramp issues, hamstring problems, ankle pain, followed by flu, everything has bothered the player this season. The result -Darryn has played 30-plus minutes in just six of the 15 games he’s appeared in for the Jayhawks this season, which has made his season total 403 minutes.

That is way less than his rivals Cameron Boozer (853 minutes) and AJ Dybantsa (870 minutes). Smith alludes to the fact that the NBA is long and gritty, and an 82-game regular season affair, and then it would make the team owners hesitant to choose a player who is so sporadic.

Of course, Darryn’s quality has never been a question. Averaging 20 points per game even after missing so many games is enough to gauge his value as a player, but this ongoing issue with his playing time is overshadowing his talents. And now it seems even Bill Self is not too keen on beating around the bush.

“We’ve had this happen more than a couple of times. I didn’t anticipate that tonight at all. I thought he was good to go. But obviously, we only got 18 minutes out of him. That’s disappointing, because he could’ve had a really big night,” said Self, recounting the game.

Well, Darryn already made 23 points without playing full time, and if he had continued, one might shudder to think how much he could have put up on the board. Kansas eventually did triumph (81-69) at Stillwater, but imagine the murmur if Kansas had somehow lost.