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'Everybody's got an opinion on it:' Kansas' Darryn Peterson on injury narrative
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- 'Everybody's got an opinion on it:' Kansas' Darryn Peterson on injury narrative
One of the bigger storylines this men's college basketball season has been the health status of Kansas basketball guard Darryn Peterson , one of the sport's top players.
In an interview with ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Peterson spoke out on the current narrative, which has been sparked by social media, regarding his availability for games or coming out of them as he continues to deal with the numerous injuries he has sustained this season.
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"Everybody's got an opinion on it," Peterson recently told ESPN. "But basketball is my life. If I could have been out there every game this year, I would have. If you would have asked me last year, what were my goals for this year, I would never mention missing games. So all this stuff kind of just happened, but I've got to deal with it."
TOPPMEYER: Bill Self still has one big question about Kansas — and it goes past Darryn Peterson
Peterson's comments to Medcalf are some of his first public remarks this season, as he has not spoken in many availabilities this season.
The Jayhawks 6-foot-6 freshman guard has missed 11 games this season, including Kansas ' loss to Duke in the Champions Classic and its win over then-No. 1 Arizona on Feb. 9 , with the majority of those being due to a lingering hamstring injury. He has also not been able to finish games due to cramps from that hamstring injury.
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However, in the 16 games that Peterson has played in, he has lived up to the hype and expectations that surrounded his name heading into the season. He scored 32 points in an overtime win over TCU, scored 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting against Baylor, and 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting against Oklahoma State before exiting due to injury.
Ahead of Kansas' eventual 84-68 loss to Cincinnati on Feb. 21, the Jayhawks' second loss at home this season, Bill Self told reporters that he wasn't buying into the false narrative surrounding Peterson's ongoing injuries. He doubled down on that following Kansas' 16-point loss to the Bearcats, their third-worst home loss in Self's tenure.
"There is a way to change the narrative — play, finish," Self said on Feb. 20. "Now, if his body allows him to, fantastic. If it doesn't allow him to, then they'll say something again the next game. But that's the way to get people to quit talking.
"It's not me saying it's not fair, I don't think that really keeps anybody from having an opinion at a national level or on this level or any level to be quite candid, but I do think it's easy for everybody to say what's happening within a situation that really doesn't know the situation."
Is Darryn Peterson playing tonight for Kansas basketball vs Houston?
All signs point to a "yes" for Peterson's status against Houston on Monday. The Jayhawks enter Monday's critical Big 12 game with a 40-0 record on "Big Monday" games at Allen Fieldhouse under Self.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Darryn Peterson responds to criticism about injuries, playing time
