The Kansas Jayhawks continue to win games, this time defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys 81-69 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Wednesday night.
And, once again, the story is all about Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson. In the win over Oklahoma State, Peterson was seen signaling to head coach Bill Self early in the second half, seemingly asking to be removed from the game.
Right after that, Peterson went to the bench and did not return, prompting more questions about his concerning availability. After the game, Self called it “disappointing” to see Peterson leave the game early.
Self on Peterson: "I didn't anticipate that tonight at all. I thought he was good to go. But we only got 18 minutes out of him. That's disappointing because he could have had a really good night."
— Henry Greenstein (@HenryGreenstein) February 19, 2026
After hitting a three-pointer, Peterson was seen signaling to Self, and the Kansas coach called a timeout.
Here’s the video of the play.
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
Early in the season, Peterson missed a month due to lingering issues from his hamstring injury, with some questioning whether the Jayhawks star is preserving himself for the NBA Draft.
Then, Peterson surprisingly sat out against then-No. 1 Arizona with an illness despite the star freshman being seen warming up before the game.
Now, he leaves the game early against Oklahoma State. Peterson scored 23 points in 19 minutes with six three-pointers, and although Kansas got the win, it raises even more questions with March right around the corner.
Peterson is widely expected to be in the running for the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, although availability concerns could scare away NBA GMs from making the selection.
