The No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks obliterated the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Wednesday, 81-69, but their win doesn’t seem to be grabbing as much as attention as the continuation of the Darryn Peterson saga.
Peterson, widely expected to be the No. 1 pick at the 2026 NBA Draft, went off for 20 points in the first half. After hitting a 3-pointer in the second half, he turned to Kansas head coach Bill Self on the sideline and appeared to gesture that he wanted to be subbed out.
Here’s a video of that moment.
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
All told, Peterson spent just 18 minutes on the floor versus the Cowboys, tallying 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting with 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block.
Peterson’s ability to finish contests and his availability for the team have bothered Kansas supporters. While undoubtedly an elite talent at the college level, he’s only appeared in 14 of the Jayhawks’ 26 outings this season. He’s also been absent down the stretch in many Kansas games, mainly because cramping issues.
Kansas has managed to win a bunch of games and stay ranked despite Peterson’s situation, but the Jayhawks will need him to be more available if they are to have a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
