The Kansas Jayhawks upset the Arizona Wildcats 82-78 in Allen Fieldhouse Monday, Feb. 9 — without star freshman Darryn Peterson. By Dominick Williams
Darryn Peterson missing Monday’s Big 12 men’s basketball battle between No. 1-ranked Arizona and No. 9 Kansas because of flu-like symptoms attracted the attention of former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl as well as former NBA players Jamal Mashburn and Jalen Rose.
That group discussed the Kansas freshman’s availability for games Tuesday on TNT’s Big East college basketball studio show.
Peterson has missed 11 of KU’s 24 games because of hamstring tightness, cramping, a quad ailment and illness issues. The Jayhawks were able to defeat the Wildcats 82-78 despite the absence of the McDonald’s All-American expected to be taken in the top two of the 2026 NBA Draft.
“I don’t think this is going to affect his draft stock, because I think everybody that I talk to in the league, he still looks like the No. 1 guy. But if I was coaching in the NBA, I’m sorry, I would have some concern missing 11 out of 24 games for hamstrings and quad pulls and illness, just a long list of different things,” Pearl said.
“My job is to coach a team. My job is to win championships … general manager’s gotta make another decision. I would be a little concerned about, you know, just how tough he is,” added Pearl, who coached 30 seasons at Auburn, Tennessee, Milwaukee and Southern Indiana before retiring at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Mashburn, who played 11 years in the NBA, said it’s “a very interesting thing” in discussing health issues regarding players.
“You can prepare for a season, but you don’t know when an injury is coming. ... For a kid like Darryn Peterson, I’m not necessarily concerned. I’d rather have him on the court and let him adjust to his body and what he can actually do,” Mashburn said. “He’s a premier talent at the end of the day. When he’s on the court, he’s probably the best player on the court at any particular moment. I’m not really concerned about him. One thing that I’ve learned in watching Kansas play is when he’s out of the lineup, they’ve all gotten better.
“And when he’s inserted, they know how to play around that as well. They play much more and Jalen knows it’s much more of an NBA pro style, where you can insert people in and out, and it doesn’t affect performance. So I like him in the lineup. I don’t think necessarily, because his body breaks down, that it’s a toughness issue. I think it’s a soft-tissue issue. And I think it’s cautionary on his side as well.”
Rose, who played 13 years in the NBA, said he does think Peterson’s draft stock could be affected by his missing a lot of college games.
“If he has a soft-tissue issue playing a collegiate schedule, now he’s getting to the NBA, playing two times more games in the backcourt, going against some of the fastest people in the world, and needing to defend and fight through screens and stuff like that, I feel like it will affect his draft stock, because he’s still a terrific performer,” Rose said. “You use the perfect word, premier, like he’s a premier player — but there are certain players unfortunately that are injury prone.”
Host Adam Lefkoe chimed in that he “wants to see him (Peterson) playing in March.” He also reminded the panel that Kyrie Irving was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by Cleveland despite playing just 11 games for Duke his freshman season. Irving, who had a toe injury, did play in the NCAA Tournament that year prior to the draft.
National radio talk show host Colin Cowherd also offered his opinion on Peterson’s availability and draft stock on Tuesday.
“So the upcoming NBA Draft will be pretty special. It’s got three or four great players, one at BYU, one at Duke, and Darryn Peterson plays for Kansas,” Cowherd said as reported on by On3.com. “He’s the closest looking player I’ve seen to Kobe Bryant. He’s a jump off the television player. They played Arizona last night. It was in Lawrence, Kansas, and Kansas won, but Peterson didn’t play. So a huge win for Kansas.
“Arizona is outstanding. Peterson didn’t play. In fact, he’s missed 11 of their 24 starts, cramping, last night he had the flu, and there’s a lot of concern. ‘Whoa, I’m hearing this. Whoa, you can’t draft this guy.’ The NBA makes trading difficult. The NFL does not. If you can get a Kobe Bryant-level athlete, you draft him.”
KU coach Bill Self indicated Peterson told him in the trainer’s room about a half hour before tip Monday that the flu-like symptoms would keep him from playing in a game ultimately won by the Jayhawks.
“I remember years ago, Christian McCaffrey skipped the Sun Bowl, and people are like, ‘Whoa, hey, you got to show up for your team.’ It was the Sun Bowl, and he was a transformational running back talent,” Cowherd said. “You draft Christian McCaffrey if he’s available. You’re one of the most talented guys that’s ever played the position. Like, if you live in Arizona, you need a pool. It’s not going to elevate. It’s going to be expensive. You’ll have to resurface it. It may leak. The maintenance is a pain in the butt. You’ll never get your money back on a pool. You’ll get it back on a kitchen. You’ll get it back on your bathrooms. You’ll never get the money back on a pool, but if you live in Arizona, you’ve got to have one. And if you’re in the NBA, you got to have (Peterson.)”
ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla offered his take on social media site X: “Who knows how the Darryn Peterson saga ends at @KUHoops but Melvin Council Jr.’s spirit will live on in Kansas long after he leaves. He’s left his indelible print on his one season.”
Former KU and NBA center Cole Aldrich responded on Fraschilla’s X thread: “Fran, people want to point a finger at a guy instead of celebrating a team who has continued to achieve greatness through adversity. Game doesn’t get postponed because a guy is hurt/sick. Guys step up and kick (butt) like they did. That’s what you do at Kansas.”
No. 9-ranked KU (19-5, 9-2) will next meet No. 5 Iowa State (21-3, 8-3) at 12 p.m. Saturday in Ames, Iowa. TCU beat the Cyclones 62-55 on Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas.