NBA Scout Calls 'Bulls--t' on Darryn Peterson Effort Concerns amid 2026 Draft Rumors

Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson was once considered a lock to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, but it seems like that is no longer the case.

One NBA scout told The Athletic's CJ Moore that BYU star freshman AJ Dybantsa has a legitimate chance to be selected over Peterson, but it's not because of the effort concerns surrounding the Jayhawks sharpshooter.

"Everything that's going on with Darryn not playing well and not shooting it well during this time, it is definitely leaning people into AJ at one is a real conversation," the scout said. "AJ, what he's been doing at his size, is different. But all this stuff that now is being made public that we knew, a lot of people in the media had said he doesn't love the game, he's not competitive and that other bulls--t, we knew was all crap. But who goes No. 1 is a conversation now."

Peterson has endured a rollercoaster freshman season that included flashes of brilliance and several injuries. He checked out of games multiple times due to cramping.

In 22 games, Peterson has averaged 19.8 points while shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three-point range. The wear and tear has gotten to him in recent weeks, as he shot under 30 percent from the field in three of his last four outings, including a 14-point clunker in a loss against Houston in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

The narratives surrounding Peterson's effort and availability have been building for quite some time. Shreyas Laddha of the Kansas City Star reported that one NBA scout "questioned why Peterson wasn't always available in high school," and a similar sentiment has been echoed by "multiple sources" throughout the 2025-26 season.

Peterson acknowledged that he could've done a better job of explaining his situation, but he's focused on getting healthy.

"There was some foolish stuff being said, but I could have probably did better in probably (getting) in front of it instead of people making stuff up," Peterson told Laddha. "It's over now, but don't nobody say nothing about me finishing games and stuff now, which is funny to me. But I don't really care. I am just glad I am feeling better."

The 19-year-old added that he doesn't pay any mind to the memes and online chatter about his up-and-down year at Kansas.

"The people in the locker room knew what was going on," Peterson said. "So, the outside world, I don't really care. It is what it is."