Darryn Peterson’s place near the top of the 2026 NBA Draft board remains unchanged, even as outside criticism has followed his uneven availability at Kansas this season.
According to Myron Medcalf of ESPN, the freshman guard acknowledged the noise surrounding his missed games and fluctuating rhythm.
“Everybody’s got an opinion on it,” Peterson told ESPN between the Arizona and Oklahoma State games. “But basketball is my life. If I could have been out there every game this year, I would have. If you would have asked me last year, what were my goals for this year, I would never mention missing games. So all this stuff kind of just happened, but I’ve got to deal with it.”
The 6-foot-5 scorer has appeared in 16 games for the Jayhawks and is averaging 19.8 points in 27.2 minutes per contest. He is shooting 48.0% from the field and 41.3% from three on 6.8 attempts per game, while adding 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Those numbers reflect high-level shot creation efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc, where volume and accuracy often translate to the next level. His free-throw rate also remains steady at 78.9%, a key indicator for perimeter prospects.
Kansas sits at 20-7 overall and 10-4 in conference play entering Tuesday’s matchup against Houston. The Jayhawks have leaned on balanced scoring throughout the schedule, with Peterson leading the team in several key Big 12 performances.
He scored 32 points in an overtime win over TCU on January 7 and added 26 against Baylor on January 17. He also delivered 23 points in the February 19 road victory over Oklahoma State.
Availability has fueled the debate. Peterson has missed 11 games, including nine due to a hamstring strain, one because of an ankle injury and one with flu-like symptoms.
His late scratch before the February 10 win over No. 1 Arizona intensified speculation after he was ruled out roughly an hour before tipoff. Kansas Athletics later clarified that a viral video circulating online did not involve a program dispute, and coach Bill Self publicly supported his guard.
From an NBA perspective, evaluators have not shifted their projections. Brendan Marks and Justin Williams of The Athletic reported Friday, February 20, that multiple league sources continue to view Peterson as one of the first names expected to be called in June.
“I haven’t heard, from anyone I’ve talked to, like, ‘Wow, he’s going (pick No.) 10 now,’” one NBA scout told The Athletic. “When finally on the clock, I don’t think a couple of missed games because of hamstring (issues) or whatever are gonna convince someone that it’s not worth it (to draft) Darryn Peterson. He’s such a valuable archetype, right? Big enough. Can lead an offense. Makes tough shots.”
A second scout added: “He’s elite, elite, elite. When he’s fully healthy, the shot-making is on another level. … When it comes down to it, man, if you’ve seen this guy play in high school, and you saw those matchups, like, Darryn is the guy. For sure.”
