Column: Kansas almost to its ceiling, but Darryn Peterson's health still looms large
For 20 minutes on Saturday, Kansas looked like a Final Four team, but then the Jayhawks spent the next 20 minutes reminding us how little margin for error this team has without Darryn Peterson.
When Peterson was healthy, Kansas simply blitzed BYU. The Jayhawks shot 64.3% in the first half to take a 20 point lead into the break. Peterson scored 18 points and looked as explosive as ever with a resounding dunk.
The Jayhawks were rolling.
But then the cramps hit.
Peterson pointed to the bench and exited the game just before the under-16 timeout of the second half. He did not return, and Kansas had to hang on for dear life down the stretch without him.
“His quads started cramping,” Kansas coach Bill Self said on After Dark after the Jayhawks’ 90-82 win over the Cougars. “And when they do, it’s hard for him to come out of that. He’s done everything he’s supposed to do. The guy, he’s been relentless in the training room and whatnot. But for whatever reason, his body does this sometimes.”
So far this season, Peterson has missed 10 games, and in most of the ones he’s played, he hasn’t been able to make it to the finish line. It’s become a real cause for concern for the Jayhawks.
One moment, Peterson looks like the No. 1 NBA Draft pick he’s projected to be. The next, he’s out of the game.
“Now I think this time, it could be because of conditioning,” Self said. “Because he turned his ankle Tuesday against Colorado, so what’s that been, 10-11 days. And he practiced on Thursday. Now was he out there, doing one-on-zero shooting and doing that stuff? Yes. But as far as getting winded, he practiced on Thursday.”
Still, his availability has given Kansas a fine line to walk, and it’s the single most important thing holding the Jayhawks back from discovering just how good they can be.
“I think we’ve figured some things out [with the cramping],” Self said. “But some of the things we’ve figured out may take a little longer for it to kick in, whether it’s nutrition, diet. You don’t change your diet in one day and all of a sudden you don’t get that. So, he’s doing it right.
“But we just haven’t quite got our arms around it. We will, he will. He’s going to have to play through some stuff, and he has. But the one thing about the cramping deal that’s different about the ankle… the cramping when it locks up on him, it’s a different feel for him. And we got it get it — he’s so talented. He’s so good. He can do pretty much anything. And that’s why we got to get this figured out and we got to get everyone else to stay healthy.”
Everyone can see it. With Peterson in the fold, the Jayhawks are deadly. Kansas dominated Iowa State by 21 points when he played 27 minutes back on Jan. 13. And on Saturday, Peterson was clearly the best player on the floor in an anticipated matchup with AJ Dybantsa, and Kansas looked unstoppable with him in the game.
“[This game] tells me that we may not be consistently where some teams play night in and night out, but on any night, we can play with anybody,” Self said.
That’s the balance Kansas is living with right now. Without Peterson, the Jayhawks have to scrap and survive, and they have. But with him, they can overwhelm you.
And that’s why Peterson’s situation looms so large. His presence alone changes everything. He draws all the attention. His gravity carries major weight. In turn, the floor opens up for the rest of his teammates to play with an advantage.
The ceiling with him is so obvious, yet we’ve only seen it in flashes.
The Jayhawks know what they can be.
They’ve felt it.
But until Peterson can stay on the floor, that version of Kansas remains more promise than reality.
“We haven’t reached our ceiling yet,” senior guard Melvin Council said. “We’re going to keep climbing… When everyone’s healthy, it’s going to be crazy to see Kansas.”
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