With the national discourse surrounding Kansas guard Darryn Peterson reaching a fever pitch this week, Jayhawks coach Bill Self told reporters he sees one way for his star freshman to take back control of the narrative.
“He hasn’t finished games,” Self said Friday, the day before No. 8 KU hosts Cincinnati. “But the bottom line is, there is a way to change the narrative. Play. Finish. Now, if his body allows him to, fantastic. If it doesn’t allow him to, then they will say something again the next game. But that’s the way to get people to quit talking.”
Although clearly, that’s easier said than done.
Bill Self on Darryn Peterson:
“He hasn’t finished games… The bottom line is, there is a way to change the narrative: Play. Finish. That’s the way to get people to quit talking.” 👀
(🎥: @KUsports) pic.twitter.com/71bbB7sD7q
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 20, 2026
In what has become one of the strangest, most mercurial seasons for any player in recent college basketball history, Peterson — one of the nation’s top recruits and a frontrunner to go No. 1 in this summer’s NBA Draft — has played under 40 percent of Kansas’ minutes in what is expected to be his only collegiate campaign. That includes only finishing six of the 15 games he’s appeared in.
Self said the plan is for Peterson to play against Cincinnati on Saturday.
Asked at what point he wants his team to be consistently playing together at full strength to feel comfortable that it will be at its best in postseason play, Self said, “It needs to start happening now, and that’s what we believe will happen.”
Kansas has five regular-season games remaining. The Big 12 conference tournament begins on March 10.
“I don’t know what that number (of games) is, but we’re at the point where I feel like we’re getting right up against that number,” Self said. “This weekend is a great sign because it’s a Saturday-Monday game (schedule). Well, postseason is Thursday-Saturday or Friday-Sunday. Conference tournament, there’s no guarantee you’re going to get the second game, but if you do, it’s back-to-back.”
Earlier this season, due to lingering hamstring and cramping issues, the 6-foot-6 lead guard missed seven games, including nonconference losses to Duke and UConn. But more recently, in Big 12 play, Peterson has unfortunately become known for checking himself out of games — abruptly — with no explanation as to why.
Perhaps the best example of that came against TCU, when Peterson sat for much of a late Kansas comeback in regulation … only to check back in with seconds left and the Jayhawks down three. Peterson got the inbounds pass, was fouled, drained the subsequent three free throws to force overtime — and then didn’t suit up again while Kansas hung on for a 104-100 overtime victory.
Earlier this week, against Oklahoma State, Peterson played fewer than four second-half minutes before turning to Self and KU’s bench, after a made 3-pointer, and signaling that he needed to come out. And as has become routine, Peterson did not return.
With no further explanation from the player or program as to why Peterson is unable to finish games, speculation has run rampant on social media and across the sports landscape. Stephen A. Smith ranted about Peterson on “First Take” earlier this week, saying he wouldn’t dare draft the Ohio native first overall if he were an NBA executive.
“It’s easy for everybody to say what’s happening within a situation,” Self said Friday, “that really doesn’t know the situation.”
With Peterson, Kansas has shown Final Four upside, and may be good enough to win Self’s third national championship in Lawrence. But unless the star prospect becomes able to do what his coach said Friday — finish — then it’s difficult to imagine the Jayhawks living up to that potential.
Asked if there is any truth to those claiming Peterson doesn’t love basketball, Self quickly shot down that sentiment.
“I don’t know that we’ve had a guy that studies the game, has prepared himself for this more so than what Darryn Peterson has. He loves the game. He can’t get enough of it,” Self said. “Those (speculating otherwise) are the things that are probably hurtful as much as anything. Nobody is putting more time in outside of practice, working on their game on an individual level probably (more) than he has over a lifetime. I don’t even think it would be close.”