Bill Self on Darryn Peterson narratives: 'Play. Finish. That's the way to get people to quit talking'
After Kansas star freshman guard Darryn Peterson scored 23 points in 18 minutes but then sat out most of the second half against Oklahoma State on Wednesday, the national narratives started to really heat up.
Steven A. Smith, Skip Bayless and several others weighed in on his availability situation, one that has been a head-scratcher all year long with Peterson missing 11 total games and being limited in several second halves when he does suit up.
Kansas head coach Bill Self addressed all of the narratives on Friday speaking with local media. Here’s what he had to say:
On if he expects Peterson to play Saturday vs. Cincinnati: “Oh yeah. I haven’t really talked to him since the game on Wednesday because yesterday was an off day. It wasn’t a total off day. We met and watched tape. But we didn’t do anything basketball wise. So we’ll find out today. But we haven’t had any issues in practice whatsoever.”
On the cramping popping up vs. Oklahoma State: “When you get sick a lot of times I think there’s a chance that you lose weight, you lose strength. There’s a lot of things that happen that we’re not going to divulge. So could that contribute to [the cramping]? Absolutely. Because he did get through the two games prior to that without that. So that could certainly be it as much as anything.”
On how the team’s dealing with Peterson out: “So much has been made of DP, but I don’t believe much has been made of that with our guys. Our guys like Darryn, and Darryn likes our guys. However it’s spun it’s spun, but I do think this is a close team.”
On the national chatter and if it’s a distraction: “It’s not a distraction for me as much as it would be for him. And maybe it is for our players, but I don’t believe it is though. But for Darryn obviously it would be because I heard some of the things that were said. The things that are said nationally from the perspective in which they say it, is it fair or is a lot of the things they said actually true? He hasn’t finished games. The reasons why they say he hasn’t finished games is 100% false.
“That’s the narrative that’s being put out there. But the bottom is, there is a way to change the narrative: play. Finish. 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 on a national level or 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 doesn’t really know the situation. But don’t we all do that?”
“The basis of what’s being said. You can’t argue with it. He hasn’t finished games consistently. The reasons why he hasn’t finished or ‘he’s saving himself for the NBA’ or ‘load management’ or that kind of stuff. That to me couldn’t be more false.”
On if Self is convinced Peterson loves the game: “I don’t know that we’ve had a guy that studies the game, has prepared himself for this more so than what Darryn Peterson has. He loves ball. He can’t get enough of ball. I think that those are the things that are probably more hurtful as much as anything to say those types of things. Nobody has put more time in outside of practice working on their individual game than probably what he has over a lifetime. I don’t even think it’d be close. So I don’t buy those scenarios at all. But there’s a way to get rid of those scenarios too. And he knows that and I know that. If he wasn’t a for sure top pick in an NBA draft, regardless of where that is, would anybody even be talking about this in the way in which they are? Maybe the would. But I certainly doubt it.”
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