Right from day 1 of the 2025-26 season, one thing has been set in stone: Darryn Peterson is a generational talent. And it has been evident. He is averaging 19.7 points and 3.7 rebounds despite playing limited minutes because of his injury. The main conversation centers around his “will to play” and the uncertainty around his leg injury. According to a scout that spoke with Matt Norlander, this on-again, off-again saga is now “getting bizarre.” However, his talent has always been unquestionable, until the Arizona clash. 

Kansas fell behind early to No.2 Arizona.  By the end of the first half they were down by 11 and soon enough that gap increased to 23. While they managed to claw back, it was not enough, with the scoreline reading 84-61 at the final whistle. Peterson finished with 24 points and 5 rebounds, shooting 8-21 from the field and 3-8 from the three-point line. 

He added 3 assists 2 blocks and a steal. Council and Tre White added 13 points each. KU big man Flory Bidunga struggled through a rough performance, scoring two points (1-for-5 shooting) with just four rebounds in 32 minutes. However, the current NBA No. 1 draft pick favorite’s poor shooting night was the center of attention after the game. 

Darryn Peterson Losing Draft Stock After Arizona’s Revenge

“I think we’re at the point where we can say Kansas has been better this season without Darryn Peterson than with him. He had 24 points on 21 shots today and they lost by 23. I still think this team has a high ceiling but I’m losing my faith it will reach it,” wrote Seth Davis, the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Hoops HQ.  Kansas is 12-6 with Peterson and 9-2 without him. In addition, the team is +14.4 when he is off and +10.1 when he is On, a +4.3 differential per CBB analytics. 

“Beat Arizona without DP. Lost by 23 vs. Arizona with DP. Can not reach the ceiling with a part-time player,” wrote another. Well, for one, the first one was at home and this one was on the road. That is a huge difference. Kansas was 2-5 on the road coming into this game and is now 2-6. The accusations regarding Peterson’s injury are not new. But he has now played 30+ minutes in 3 consecutive games. Yes, that is a low bar but it suggests that Peterson is slowly returning to full fitness. Is the damage already done?

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Peterson’s accuracy against Arizona was below his season-wide average of 47.2%. He has had a few of those. Against Iowa State he went 3/10 at 30%. While playing West Virginia, he went 6/17 and against Houston in the last game, it was 5-14. In literally any other draft class, this would have been a minor inconvenience. However, he has the likes of AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer on his heels. 

“I’m confused how y’all see him going ahead of aj,” wrote another fan. Dybantsa is averaging 25.1 points,6.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. That includes 35 points and 7 rebounds against the same Arizona team and 29 points against Iowa State. Their talent levels are almost matched to the brim. So, even though most still back Peterson, the NCAA tournament could flip many NBA GMs. 

“No, He a Tunnel Vision Scorer…. If he isn’t  scoring he doesn’t impact the game at all. Not an elite Defender and not a Long athlete, compared to NBA Elite Defenders, Yall said he was elite defensively… without that… a top 3 pick, yes, but isn’t as Generational as people push…,” wrote a fan. Well, his defensive impact as compared to AJ Dybantsa or Cameron Boozer has been second. Peterson’s DBPM stands at 3.2 as compared to 1.2 for Dybantsa and 6.0 for Boozer. He could be hesitating on defense because of his cramping problems and injury. We will only understand the reality when Peterson plays a string of games at full fitness.