The Darryn Peterson Problem

Kansas may have to decide soon if Peterson is worth the anxiety

Bill Self has a Darryn Peterson problem. How big is the problem? It’s impossible to say at this point. However, we’ll know soon enough. It’s already February 10, and March is literally right around the corner.

When Kansas landed Peterson out of high school, Self surely thought he was getting something special. A player who, with the right supporting cast, could help lead Kansas—and Bill Self—to another coveted NCAA Tournament championship. Everyone I talk to says this is a special freshman class, and that Peterson may be the most talented of the bunch.

I’d imagine Self ends most nights now sipping a nice, strong glass of bourbon—or whatever his favorite whiskey might be. A conundrum and headaches like this require the hard stuff. Maybe a little Jack Daniel’s straight to the brain after dealing with what might be the most frustrating stretch of his coaching life, all because of one player’s will—or lack thereof.

What the hell is going on in this kid’s head?

Yesterday, he missed the biggest home game of the year against No. 1 Arizona with flu-like symptoms. Seriously. Sure, maybe he had the flu. But then what about a couple weekends ago, when he played only three minutes in the second half of a win against BYU because of cramps? The very next game, Kansas beat Texas Tech, and yeah—Peterson played 35 minutes. And when he wanted to, when the game was on the line, he played like Kobe.

With him, it’s become a classic case of the boy who cried wolf—even if he really did have the flu yesterday. At other times, he looks like a disinterested kid picking dandelions in right field while playing tee-ball.

You know this kid drives Bill Self insane. He has to. This is confounding for those of us who grew up believing basketball was a game of grit, passion, and desire. Self has been doing this a long time—a college head coach since 1993—and I guarantee he has never seen anything like this. Peterson may be the guy who drives Self out of the game. He might be the one who gives him a Bobby Hauck moment—the “being a head coach isn’t fun anymore” realization.

Kansas and Arizona played Monday night in one of the most anticipated games of the month. The Jayhawks are always tough at home, and Arizona came in undefeated with a No. 1 ranking next to its name.

So again: what the hell is going on? Does this kid even like basketball? Self thought adrenaline would take over last night. It was the No. 1 team in the country, undefeated, coming into your gym, with a throng of NBA scouts in attendance to see Peterson match up against one of the nation’s most talented teams. However, it did not.

Kansas got the job done in front of a raucous crowd at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. They knocked off No. 1 without their star freshman and projected top NBA Draft pick. This team is obviously good enough to win without him, they proved that. It almost makes you wonder if, at some point, his teammates just tell the kid to pack his bags and go home.

You almost hope Kansas pulling off that win was a major wake-up call for Peterson. As Abby Lee Miller loves to say on Dance Moms: everyone is replaceable. Maybe Darryn finally gets that now that his team proved it doesn’t need him to win the biggest games. Maybe it lights a fire under his ass. Maybe he starts playing like a star, a leader, someone with a killer instinct.

Michael Jordan once dropped 38 with the flu.

I was spoiled as a kid. I saw MJ play in person no fewer than 30 times, and honestly, every single one was special. He was an assassin. Whatever it took, he was going to win. The individual accolades came because of his obsession with greatness. Jordan was famously cut from his high school team, and from that point on, he always had that dog in him. He would use anything as motivation.

So far, as talented as Peterson is—where is that dog? Where’s the killer? Where’s the guy who puts a team on his back and carries them when things get tough?

I guarantee you Bill Self knows he doesn’t have that with Darryn Peterson. Not even close. What he has is a kid who, on any given day or any given possession, can decide whether he cares or not.

This team proved last night that, even with Peterson in the lineup—or without him—their dreams are right in front of them. Until something changes, Self and the Jayhawks have to decide if this guy is worth the risk and the headache.