The No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks lost to the No. 5 St. John’s Red Storm in the second round of the men’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The Jayhawks’ fourth straight first weekend exit since winning the 2022 national title was a gut punch. St. John’s guard Dylan Darling, who had gone 0-for-4 beforehand, drove pretty much uncontested to the rim to lay in the buzzer-beater. St. John’s won 67-65 and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
On the Kansas side, questions immediately surfaced about the futures of head coach Bill Self and star freshman guard Darryn Peterson. Predictably, Peterson was surrounded by reporters in the locker room and peppered with questions about reflecting on what’s expected to be his first and last season at KU.
“I’m not sure it was my last,” Peterson said. When pressed on whether he’s having doubts about declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, Peterson said, “Yeah, I still have to talk to my family. So, I’m not sure what the next year holds.”
Peterson is widely considered to be a top-3 pick if he declares. As of March 11, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo projected Peterson to be the No. 1 overall selection in this summer’s 2026 NBA Draft - despite Peterson’s missing 11 games due to various ailments, such as severe cramping. After watching Peterson’s two NCAA Tournament performances, Woo reassessed.
“His showing in two tournament games was emblematic of his season, with a number of high-level shotmaking flashes interspersed with longer periods of quiet offensive impact,” Woo wrote.
Woo noted that Peterson is the best shooter in his presumptive draft class when he’s healthy and “firing on all cylinders,” and he should remain “a strong candidate for the No. 1 spot as teams envision him in an Anthony Edwards-like role with continued development.”
Peterson isn’t alone in his noncommittal comments. Earlier this month, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, also a potential No. 1 overall pick, told McKay Coppins he “might not leave” BYU because his mother wants him to graduate, and “the fans might get into my head, talking about one more year.”
North Carolina five-star forward Caleb Wilson, who suffered a season-ending broken thumb on March 5, told reporters declaring for the draft is “something I haven’t really come to a true decision on yet.”
It could just be a thing top prospects say publicly before they’re ready to officially declare. But given Peterson’s less-than-ideal freshman year, there’s also a chance, however slim, that he decides to develop more at Kansas.
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