Darryn Peterson reignited debate over the No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft last week when he took himself out of Kansas' 81-69 win over Oklahoma State a few minutes into the second half. He scored 23 points in 18 minutes, on pace for a season-defining performance. Then he pointed to Bill Self after a 3-point attempt and disappeared.
This has become an increasingly frequent and alarming trend for Peterson, who has missed time with hamstring and ankle injuries, while also experienced in-game cramping throughout the season. He has only appeared in 17 games for the Jayhawks to date. In those 17 games, he has only played 30-plus minutes eight times. The national discourse has reached a boiling point, with take-master Bill Simmons leading the charge.
Bill Simmons fades Darryn Peterson as No. 1 pick in favor of AJ Dybantsa
Discussing the oddity of the situation on his podcast with Zach Lowe, Simmons said he no longer feels good about Peterson as the projected top pick — a position he felt was ironclad only months ago.
"Unless he’s actually hurt, which is now a new theory, I think teams value competitiveness too much," Simmons said (h/t Basketball Network). "It’s the number one thing we’ve learned about the NBA in the last 15 years is, you know what, it’s a good idea to have competitive guys. And I think this has just gotten too weird with the Kansas thing. And I think there might be better picks."
He piles on further: "I don’t like it. I don’t understand it. And it gives me Ben Simmons flashbacks to the LSU thing when he was just like, ‘I’m out.’ And didn’t care if they even made the NIT or whatever he did. Now, I hope that he actually has some physical stuff going on that he’s afraid to make worse would be my hope... It's where [AJ] Dybantsa becomes an easier pick."
Bill Simmons says he’s not sure Darryn Peterson will go No. 1 anymore. It’s giving him Ben Simmons flashbacks, and he believes AJ Dybantsa is the safer pick
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 23, 2026
(🎥 @ringer )
pic.twitter.com/RNoey0Xu0W
Peterson, who referred to himself as an "antisocial loner" after a recent Jayhawks win, had this to say on all the noise:
"Someone has something to say after every game this year. I don't really pay attention anymore."
Simmons' opinion is boldly stated but increasingly commonplace. SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell recently moved Dybantsa over Peterson in his rankings. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie has held firm on Dybantsa at No. 1 for a while now. Peterson was never fully separated from the pack of Dybantsa and Duke forward Cameron Boozer, but for much of this season, he felt like the prohibitive favorite to go first overall on draft night. That narrative hold is beginning to slip.
What to make of Bill Simmons' comments
Again, Simmons is preaching to the choir. A cursory search of 'Darryn Peterson' on X.com will reveal hundreds, nay thousands of similar comments, often expressed in more animated and less eloquent terms. Folks are tired of not being able to watch Darryn Peterson cook for 35 minutes a night. That's really what this comes down to: the fans want to watch Peterson and he's not giving them the full experience.
The crux of this issue — the factor that will ultimately determine Peterson's position on draft boards around the league — is whether or not he can provide the full experience. Simmons clearly thinks Peterson is withholding something. Based on Zach Lowe's comments in the same clip, it sounds like some league personnel are also speculating in that vein.
With all of that said, the messaging from Bill Self, Peterson and Kansas has been pretty firm: whether it's illness or cramping or a more serious ailment, at no point has Peterson blatantly missed a game or removed himself out of apathy. Here's what he told ESPN before the now-infamous Oklahoma State incident.
"Everybody's got an opinion on it. 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."
Peterson is, in fact, hurt. He's operating at less than 100 percent, which has been the case practically all season to this point. Simmons points to injury speculation as a conspiracy theory, but it's the simple truth of the matter.
You need only pull up Peterson's high school highlights to notice the difference. The explosiveness, the ability to put two feet in the paint and nix defenders with a cosmic blend of speed, dexterity and deception, just is not fully there right now.
NBA teams will want to full rundown of Peterson's medical documents before drafting him. This discourse cycle has no immediate end in sight. If he does end up tumbling down draft boards, however, it will be the result to real, tangible concerns — like a faulty hamstring or a more deep-rooted medical problem. Not because Peterson does not have the right competitive spirit.
Peterson's effort dating back to high school, when he rocketed up recruit rankings to become the top name in his class, was always a plus. He competed on defense, he attacked relentlessly on offense. There is ample evidence to support the argument that Peterson simply needs a few months to get right, to get back to 100 percent, so that he can return to his once-nuclear form.
Is Peterson still a better prospect than Dybantsa?
At the end of the day, this debate is mostly preferential. Dybantsa has put together a titanic season at BYU, averaging 25.1 points and 3.8 assists on 61.9 percent true shooting. For a player with his tools, who takes so many challenging shots and carries such a burdensome load, Dybantsa's efficiency and clear developmental progress are mighty appealing.
There is a case for Dybantsa in a vacuum, without all the Peterson noise. Perhaps the noise just makes that decision a little easier for teams, but it should not be the determining factor.
Peterson remains second on the FanSided big board for now, with Dybantsa ranked third (the Cameron Boozer of it all is another debate for another time). Both occupy the same tier, however, and team fit and front office philosophy will probably drive the final outcome. Both are still fully in play for the No. 1 overall pick. Perhaps neither ends up No. 1. This is a loaded draft class with a few historically great prospects. In most other years, there'd be a lot less doubting of Peterson's credentials.
With all of that said, Peterson probably deserves more credit for the season he's having in spite of all the setbacks. The on-court chemistry when he's out there is understandably wonky, and some of Peterson's playmaking metrics are lagging behind as a result. But he's averaging 19.5 points on .472/.405/.795 splits in 27.4 minutes, putting together some truly special shot-making performances despite operating at noticeably less than 100 percent. He's a potent, scalable off-ball scorer who should display far more on-ball prowess once he's back up to speed with NBA spacing.
Do not fade Darryn Peterson. Hold firm. Your stock will pay off.