Bill Self finally says potential No. 1 pick Darryn Peterson’s health issues are ‘disappointing’
By JAMES MADDEN
Kansas star Darryn Peterson, who once again battled second half cramps for the Jayhawks, recorded a highly-efficient 23 points in Wednesday’s 81-69 win against Oklahoma State. The future top-3 pick sat for the majority of the second half after signaling to head coach Bill Self that he was “done” with around 16 minutes to play.
“I didn’t anticipate that tonight at all. I thought he was good to go,” Self said postgame. “But we only got 18 minutes out of him. That’s disappointing because he could have had a really good night,”
Peterson scored 20 first half points, but just three in the second half, in which he missed most of the half. Peterson missing another second half has led to him drawing more criticism from basketball personalities and analysts around the country.
“If I were a general manager, I would be extremely concerned about Darryn Peterson,” ESPN’s Jay Williams said Thursday. “His talent is unquestionable. It’s elite. But I don’t feel like he really wants to be there.”
TNT analyst Jamal Mashburn also spoke about Peterson’s situation after the star missed most of the second half on Wednesday.
“If [Darryn Peterson’s] gonna get into the NCAA Tournament, and you’re gonna load manage… why even be a part of it,” the former NBA star said.
With the ongoing cramping issues taking the basketball world by storm, former NBA star and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins offered a more spirited take on the star guard’s frequent health issues.
“Turn your jersey in. Go get ready for the draft,” Perkins said. “Thank you for everything. We’re not going to pay you for the remaining part of it. I’m good, because at this point, he’s unpredictable.”
With Peterson’s lower body issues still lingering, the Jayhawks sit at 20-6 overall and are firmly in the mix for a top-two seed in next month’s NCAA Tournament.
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