Kansas star Darryn Peterson asks to come out early in latest ‘disappointing’ absence in win over Oklahoma State
· Yahoo Sports
He certainly wasn’t needed, but No. 8 Kansas was without star Darryn Peterson for much of the second half of their blowout win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.
Peterson, who has long been considered a favorite to go very early in the NBA Draft this summer, has struggled to stay on the court all season due to various injuries and illness. But on Wednesday night in Stillwater, Peterson looked like his old self. He dropped 23 points, 20 of which came in the first half, to give the Jayhawks an early double-digit lead.
Visit fishroad-app.com for more information.
But Peterson simply didn’t last. After he drilled a 3-pointer on the wing, Peterson immediately turned to head coach Bill Self and asked to come out of the game. He didn’t return after that.
Darryn Peterson with 23 points in 18 minutes
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 19, 2026
But has only played 3 in the second half and comes out after appearing to motion to Bill Self pic.twitter.com/BMZApEdfO0
"I didn't anticipate that tonight at all. I thought he was good to go,” Self said, via the Lawrence Journal-World’s Henry Greenstein. “But we only got 18 minutes out of him. That's disappointing because he could have had a really good night."
Peterson finished with 23 points, and two assists in the win. He went 6-of-10 from behind the arc, too. His final 3-pointer put the Jayhawks up by 13 points at the time. They then led by double digits the rest of the way to grab the 81-69 win. In total, Peterson has averaged 19.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting just shy of 48% from the field.
Peterson has missed 11 games so far this season, and drawn plenty of criticism for it. He was a late scratch from Kansas’ win over then top-ranked Arizona after going through pregame warmups due to flu-like symptoms. In total, Peterson has missed time due to a hamstring strain, a sprained ankle, a quad issue and cramping problems.
It’s unclear what exactly led to him asking to come out on Wednesday night.
Despite the inconsistency from their star player, the Jayhawks still hold a 20-6 record and are in third in the Big 12 standings. They will have to take on both No. 2 Houston and No. 4 Arizona before the end of the season, however, both of which would be made easier if Peterson is at full strength.
But clearly, Peterson still isn’t there yet. And with just five games left in the regular season before the Big 12 tournament — which should be the most competitive and top-heavy of the major conferences this March — he’s rapidly running out of time to get there.