Kansas will be without star freshman guard Darryn Peterson again tonight, and this one stings a little more than usual. The Jayhawks are set to host UConn in one of the biggest non-conference matchups of the season, but the five-star phenom is still on the shelf. Bill Self didn’t dance around it either, saying, “Darryn is not going to play tonight. He is very close. He has worked his butt off, but he is still not 100 percent. He is day-to-day.”
This will be the seventh straight game Peterson has missed, and it’s getting to the point where his absence is hard to ignore. When he’s healthy, he gives Kansas a different gear. He’s explosive, confident with the ball, and gives the backcourt a dynamic scorer who can also defend. That’s the kind of player you want on the floor in a massive matchup, not stuck on the bench in street clothes.
Early in the year, Peterson showed flashes of why he was one of the most hyped freshmen in the country. His debut had folks buzzing, and he looked like a guy who was going to be a serious problem for Big 12 defenses all season. But ever since the hamstring issue flared up, it’s been a waiting game. And if Kansas wants to stay in the national title conversation, getting him back healthy has to be a priority.
That said, Self isn’t going to rush him back just because the opponent says “UConn.” He’s made that clear. It’s not about one game, even if it’s a big one. It’s about making sure Peterson doesn’t turn this into a lingering issue that costs him more down the road. A tight hamstring can turn into a lost season real quick if you don’t handle it right.
In the meantime, Kansas will roll with the guys they’ve got. They’ve got enough talent to make this a game, but without Peterson, they’re missing a spark, a little swagger, and that extra jolt you need in a heavyweight fight.
Peterson’s return is coming, and when it does, Kansas will look a whole lot more dangerous. But for now, he’ll be watching from the sideline again. And if you’re a Kansas fan, all you can do is hope “day-to-day” turns into “cleared” sometime soon.
