In the aftermath of a thrilling, 84-63 beatdown of 2nd-ranked Iowa State on Tuesday night, Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson walked into the Allen Fieldhouse media room like he had done it a thousand times before.
Truth is, he hadn’t. Not even once, actually.
For the first time this season at home, Peterson met with the media after a Kansas basketball game, which finally gave him the opportunity to speak for himself about the season-long saga around his availability, which Kansas coach Bill Self pointed out is still not over.
Peterson started and played his fourth consecutive game for the Jayhawks and logged 28 minutes and 16 points. Things are headed in the right direction there, and he’s starting to look better and better each time out. But he did sit out the very end of this one with cramps, telling Self that he could go back in if the Jayhawks really needed him.
So, we’re still waiting for that game in which Peterson makes it through without any physical issues. Maybe it’ll come, maybe it won’t. But at least we finally got to hear from the kid himself.
Peterson spoke for a little less than 90 seconds while answering 12 questions thrown his way. Some were about the game. Some were about his health. Some led to laughable moments that both he and reporters in the room seemed to get a kick out of.
Darryn Peterson celebrates Tuesday's win over No. 2 Iowa State at Allen Fieldhouse. [Screenshots of Kansas Athletics postgame videos]
In short, he looked plenty comfortable up there and did not seem to be bothered by the attention or the talk about the cramping issue that has plagued him this season.
One of the big things missing throughout the season while we watched and waited and wondered about Peterson’s health was DP’s own voice. There’s no substitute for hearing things directly from the horse’s mouth, and it was great to finally get a chance to hear Darryn speak on his own behalf.
He said he’s not all the way back yet but feeling better every day. He said he was frustrated when he had to miss games because he wanted to be out there for — in this order — his teammates, Coach Self and himself. And he smiled while talking about his teammates, the win and where things are headed.
That might not change everything or fix all that ails him. And he’s still got to get all the way healthy and back to being the player he’s been advertised to be before we start talking about a completely new direction for the Jayhawks.
But just as this Kansas team can’t reach its ceiling without Peterson in the lineup, Peterson himself can’t consistently and completely be out there until he finishes off his own personal checklist.
Four straight starts to open Big 12 play is a big step toward doing that. Trying to dunk on a couple of Iowa State guys on Tuesday night is a great sign that he’s getting there.
And actually seeing him and hearing him talk after a game — for the first time since KU’s loss at North Carolina in early November — certainly made it feel like the Darryn Peterson Experience is about to enter a new phase.
Here are the three most important things DP said in his brief but meaningful meeting with the media after Tuesday’s victory. Let’s hope there are more of those ahead.
“I felt better. It’s coming back slowly to me. I was out for a while, but every game I feel like I’m getting better. And that was a great win. Definitely, coming off the loss to West V, we knew we had to come in here and get a win, so that’s what we did.”
— This was his first answer to the first question, and it’s an honest assessment of his status and progress without overstating anything. I also think it’s important to recognize here that he was quick to turn his words to the team and that that West Virginia loss stuck with him. We’ve heard that he’s a competitive killer who has an even-keel, matter-of-fact approach to almost everything he does. —
“It was definitely frustrating because I want to be out there with my guys. I want to be out there for coach and also for myself at the end of the day. But it is what it is. I got to kind of just keep going, keep going forward. I'm getting better every day. So, that's all I can ask for.”
— Without saying it or addressing them directly, this was DP’s quick response to all of the crap he caught — and still catches — from people who said he was soft, didn’t want to play and was happy to just sit and steal money from KU. It’s just words. And people do lie. But if you heard it and listened, it sounded genuine and, again, pretty matter-of-fact. —
“Nah,” when asked if he had ever dealt with prolonged cramp issues in the past like he has dealt with this year.
— One word. One important piece of clarity. This is new territory for DP, which helps explain why he’s been slow to get back and trust his body while battling his cramping issues. —
Peterson and the Jayhawks will return to Allen Fieldhouse to face Baylor on Friday night in search of their second straight Big 12 win and DP's fifth straight start.
Game time is slated for 7 p.m. on FOX.
