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Darryn Peterson was available in Kansas’s most recent basketball game against Iowa State. Despite that active status, he played sparingly in a blowout loss.
The guard logged 24 minutes as the Jayhawks fell on the road. It continued to fuel a debate surrounding NIL money spent to land the future NBA pick.
Peterson has played in just 14 of the team’s 25 games to this point. When on the court, he’s averaging 27.5 minutes per contest.
The freshman has played less than 30 minutes in eight of his 14 appearances. A variety of different issues have led to the absences.
Early leg injuries hampered his non-conference contributions. An unexpected illness is the latest setback.
Peterson did not play in a midweek game vs. Arizona. He was a very late scratch minutes before the opening tip. The omission from the starting lineup had many concerned about his status for Iowa State.
Darryn Peterson played sparingly.
The guard was on the court for a little more than half the outing. Early foul trouble contributed, as did the flow of the game.
Kansas trailed by double digits at halftime. They’d eventually lose by 18.
Bill Self chose not to push it with Peterson in his return to the floor. He admitted to implementing load management in order to save him for the next game.
Bill Self said he kept Darryn Peterson out of the game late to keep him fresh for… 4 days from now vs. Oklahoma State. pic.twitter.com/r5k1feikKl
— Heartland College Sports (@Heartland_CS) February 14, 2026
“I tried to sub him (out),” Self said after the game. “He’s been sick. When he had to come out there at the end, I was thinking, ‘What gives us the best chance to have success on Wednesday?’ That was just me making that decision.”
The coach has previously stated that Peterson’s conditioning has been subpar as he battles back from injury and illness. He chose to preserve energy for an upcoming matchup vs. Oklahoma State rather than exhaust him further in a blowout loss.
The decision makes sense in a lot of ways. It did little, however, to quiet the narrative that’s surrounded Peterson in his first season.
Did Kansas waste NIL money?
That question was asked earlier this month with Darryn Peterson’s availability in decline. Was the investment worth the payout?
Peterson, despite playing limited minutes in his 14 appearances, remains the Jayhawks’ leading scorer on a PPG basis. He is college basketball’s most efficient offensive threat.
The inability to play extended periods, however, has brought drama. Fans are frustrated watching him sit on the bench. The potential for unhappiness in the locker room persists as Peterson’s commitment is questioned.
He’s being paid millions to play one year in Lawrence. He is useless on the bench. According to On3, his situation has college GMs weighing priorities.
“Is one $3M freshman worth more than three $1M players who are fully bought in for a full season?”
-Anonymous GM via On3
Is Peterson worth the high cost? Would money be better spent on less talented players that might ultimately provide more production? Is Kansas burning money?
Peterson will likely be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. He has a future to protect, which has viewers questioning his buy-in.
For others, like BYU, investments have paid dividends. $5 million star AJ Dybantsa is scoring 24.4 points per night, fresh off a double-double in which he played 43 minutes during an overtime win.
The risk, however, is not always worth the reward. Spreading the wealth throughout the roster can sometimes be the better option.
Darryn Peterson’s inability to log consistent minutes has schools rethinking their NIL outlook. We’ll see how it plays out for Kansas over the remainder of the basketball season.