By: Mike Connolly
Like it or not, we are in a new era of college basketball. The advent of NIL and the Transfer Portal opened Pandora’s Box in such a way that the lines between college and professional basketball have never been more blurry, so much so that we now have a player who has been drafted by the NBA playing college basketball (Baylor’s James Nnaji).
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There’s really no one to blame for this shift — the coaches are just trying their best to win games, and the players are just trying to maximize their earnings. But this new era needs a face. One character to really epitomize the changes in college basketball. That face could be the one of Darryn Peterson if he shuts it down for the season, which I firmly believe he should do.
Jan 10, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) walks onto the floor in front of his teammates during the first half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
Darryn Peterson came to Kansas as the #1 high school recruit in the nation, according to 24/7 sports. He was also in the top-3 in nearly every credible 2026 NBA Mock Draft that you could find. Fans of college and NBA basketball already know this name, and he has a chance to be a star in the NBA for a decade to come.
But all of this took a sharp turn in November, as Peterson was diagnosed with a hamstring strain. This strain caused him to miss several games and is the primary reason that I believe he should not play another game for the Kansas Jayhawks. Since he has returned to action, he’s played games with reduced minutes, visibly grimaced in pain, and asked to come out of games — most notably in the 2nd half against TCU, a game in which he would ask out, come back in to sink 3 clutch free throws, and then not play in the overtime period.
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Jan 10, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) shoots over West Virginia Mountaineers guard Honor Huff (3) during the first half at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
I understand Peterson’s caution. And I’m also not in the locker room or the training room — none of us are. But the reason that I think Peterson should shut it down for the season is the fact that he has a hamstring injury. Hamstring injuries often linger, and if they don’t fully heal, they often lead to achilles injuries, as seen with Kevin Durant and Tyrese Haliburton in the NBA. In the new era, when players are about maximizing their earnings, why would Peterson not just shut it down?
He has millions waiting for him next Summer after he gets drafted. But if he doesn’t make it there healthy, it could be gone in a flash. If he just shuts down the season, he is guaranteeing himself millions of dollars and a professional career. As long as he continues playing for Kansas, a team that is not currently a National Championship contender and sits at 1-2 in the Big 12, his lower leg is going to be a ticking time bomb with an achilles tendon that could explode at any minute.
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