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One of Darryn Peterson's red flags showed up during March Madness: "Got to do better"
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- One of Darryn Peterson's red flags showed up during March Madness: "Got to do better"
You know you are a special talent when the media leans to criticize you right after a night where you shattered Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins' scoring records for the Kansas Jayhawks under head coach Bill Self, who has been at the helm since 2003.
That was the exact fate Darryn Peterson experienced during this year's March Madness. He dropped 28 points, grabbed a rebound and dished out an assist on 11-of-24 shooting in a game against the California Baptist Lancers, which Self's squad ultimately won 68-60.
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However, when the game was on the line, Peterson just couldn't find his rhythm or get to the spots he usually dominates. After a few misses, he completely vanished from the floor, something he openly acknowledged after the game.
"Yeah, we won, so it didn't really affect us too much. But, I think all the guys know that I probably should have had it moving forward. But, I got to do better getting open then," Peterson shared .
Critics were quick to label him as a choker
Of course, these kinds of ups and downs should be considered completely normal for a 19-year-old playing the biggest game of his young career. But the Ohio native has simply been looked at through a different lens since day one.
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When you carry that kind of hype from such an early age, you know exactly how much pressure is on your shoulders and how high the expectations are to deliver. For some talent evaluators, however, this was also a sign of a potential red flag.
In the very next game, Self's boys were eliminated in a tight 67-65 battle against Rick Pitino's St. John's. Peterson led all scorers with 21 points and four rebounds (with zero assists) on 5-of-15 shooting. But in the final five minutes of action, Peterson registered two misses and a turnover alongside just two made free throws.
It was the second straight game where Peterson, for lack of a better term, came up short in the clutch, prompting critics to quickly label him a choker. Others, however, chalked the issue up to a completely different problem.
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Due to various issues with cramps and injuries, the 6-foot-6 guard missed 11 games during the regular season and averaged just 29.0 minutes per game. Jumping to an average of 36.5 minutes across two grueling March Madness games was a massive shift for a body accustomed to a strict minutes restriction.
The reason it was labeled as a red flag as well is that people are wondering how his body will respond to the grueling NBA schedule.
Related: "It's a joke" - Sophie Cunningham exposes WNBA's biggest Caitlin Clark problem
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The hidden reason why Peterson goes passive in clutch situations
Though you'll never hear him admit it, many noticed a clear lack of stamina in those tight finishes as the hidden reason why he goes passive when the game hangs in the balance. Peterson himself opened up about being hospitalized due to full-body cramps .
"I had like a full-body (cramp), super serious," Peterson said . "You could say it was traumatic. I would say it was a traumatic experience. As much as I want to say I wasn't (thinking about that experience). It was traumatic for me."
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"Definitely frustrating. I was doing all types of tests and stuff on my body and everything was coming back normal," Peterson added. "It definitely frustrated me, just not knowing what was going on, but I had to try stuff."
On the bright side, the fact that someone so inexperienced could completely dominate college basketball while clearly weighed down by cramps bodes well for his future upside. On the darker side, it begs the question: what happens if these problems persist?
The Utah Jazz guard wouldn't be the first or last top prospect whose body couldn't keep up with the demands of highest-intensity basketball. While that's something absolutely no one wants to see and everyone hopes is far from the truth, it genuinely raises some questions of its own.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
