Darryn Peterson has had a stop-start freshman season for the Kansas Jayhawks, missing 11 games due to hamstring issues, ankle injuries, and illness. The 19-year-old has played 30-plus minutes in just six of the 15 games he has appeared in, averaging 26.9 minutes a game. Those numbers do not paint a neat picture if they’re attached to your best player in the program, and a recent courtside incident that irked head coach Bill Self has also drawn severe reactions from fans.

“We’ve had this happen more than a couple of times,” Self disappointedly admitted after the game. “I thought he was good to go. We only got 18 minutes out of him. That’s disappointing, because he could’ve had a really big night.”

In their latest win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys, Peterson erupted early, scoring 20 of his 23 points in the first half. However, after hitting a three-pointer early in the second half, he signaled to the bench, asking to be subbed out. Peterson sat out the rest of the half as the Jayhawks won by 12 points. The youngster’s gesture has come under scrutiny, with many wondering if he even had an injury. However, could this be him being cautious for the future?

Projections put Peterson right at the top of the upcoming NBA Draft, and it looks like he is prioritizing his fitness and playing it safe before he punches the golden ticket. Naturally, that’s drawn a load of negative reactions from the college basketball faithful.

Darryn Peterson becomes the talk of the town after disappointing his own fanbase again

The NCAA fans are pointing out the absurd situation in Kansas.

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“This is so weird… I’ve never seen a kid who is projected to be a very high draft pick in the NBA draft not want to play. At least the kid from BYU plays hard every game,” one fan wrote.

It is weird to see a player of Darryn Peterson’s caliber doing this ahead of the NBA Draft. Make no mistake: despite the projections, his stock can fall as well, especially with other players like AJ Dybantsa, who is continually pushing his limits for the BYU Cougars. The Brockton native is averaging 24.8 points in 33.5 minutes per game this season, starting 26 of 26 games.

“I hope this behavior doesn’t become a trend moving forward with other players in the future. Because what this kid is doing is crazy. With no real explanations as to why,” another fan wrote.

Speculations range from injury concerns to precautionary measures ahead of the NBA Draft, with the latter far more likely given that Peterson looked absolutely fine in the previous game. All this also drew a mouthful from basketball analyst Stephen A. Smith, who went on a rant.

“This is business, I can’t trust him, you cannot be trusted,” Smith said, clarifying he was addressing Peterson directly. “The NBA is a business, it’s 82 regular-season games, you’re invoking your own load management… You are a freshman in college… How can I trust you? How can I invest in you? When you get paid, ladies and gentlemen, it’s not just because of what you do, it’s not just because of your ability, it’s because you’re also trusted to produce into the future.”

“Imagine letting a 19-year-old kid run your program……pretty embarrassing stuff from Self,” a fan said.

“Coach Self is just saving face. He just hates the behind scenes agreement he made. No one is this unaware at this level,” another observer wrote.

The public will never know what truly motivates Peterson unless he breaks his silence. Back in 2023, Peterson became the first high school athlete to sign a multi-year NIL deal with Adidas. This deal was rumored to be in the seven-figure range. He also signed a contract with Fanatics Trading Cards, becoming the youngest athlete to land a deal with a trading card company.

By February 2025, Peterson’s NIL valuation had risen to a whopping $3.8 million, and by 2026, that’s undoubtedly only on the rise.

“Time to let these kids go pro out of high school. There’s no point in wasting time and money on a kid who refuses to play,” an angry fan commented.

This wasn’t the first time the 19-year-old left a game early. In a marquee matchup against the BYU Cougars, a few weeks ago, he sat out the final 16.5 minutes! It is a pattern that NBA front offices are bound to notice, even if you are still the projected No. 1 pick in the draft.