Darryn Peterson has a clear message for his critics after Kansas’ win over Houston originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks earned a massive home victory Monday night, defeating the No. 5 Houston Cougars 69-56 to hand them their third consecutive loss.
Advertisement
Despite the ongoing backlash, Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson — who has been criticized for missing games this season — played 30 minutes, above his season average of 27.4.
He finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist while shooting 5-for-14 from the field and 2-for-7 from beyond the arc. But simply having him on the floor injected energy into Allen Fieldhouse and make the Jayhawks a much bigger threat as March approaches.
Peterson addressed the media following the win and delivered a clear message to those who have criticized him throughout the season.
“Kind of normal this year. Somebody’s had something probably after every game this year,” Peterson said. “So I don’t really pay attention to that anymore.”
Advertisement
MORE:Darryn Peterson’s sporadic availability for Kansas has the basketball world in a Phog
When asked how he handles the criticism he faces, Peterson made it clear that he isn’t very active socially and prefers to deal with it on his own.
“I’ve kind of been an antisocial loner my whole life, so I just deal with it on my own,” he added postgame.
Last week, he also spoke with ESPN and made it clear that he loves the game amid questions about his passion after missing 11 games this season and leaving several others early due to issues such as cramping.
“Everybody’s got an opinion on it,” Peterson said. “But basketball is my life. If I could have been out there every game this year, I would have. If you would’ve asked me last year what my goals were for this season, I would never have mentioned missing games. So all this stuff kind of just happened, but I’ve got to deal with it.”
Advertisement
