Darryn Peterson sat out Kansas' massive 82-78 win over previously unbeaten Arizona on Monday night. Officially, it was due to "flu-like symptoms." Unofficially? Well, that depends which viral video you watched.
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The Barstool Arizona account lit the fuse by posting a clip of a random guy inside Allen Fieldhouse texting what looked like insider info about Peterson's status. The message? That Peterson showed up sick to practice, got called out by Bill Self, and basically said screw it, I'm out.
The video exploded. Over 3.5 million views by Tuesday morning.
CRAZY snipe from this guy’s phone on the Darryn Peterson situation
“So hes sick and he didn’t tell anyone in practice and Bill said don’t half a** it if your gonna play, if not sit. DP said Fuck It, I’m out.” pic.twitter.com/Ao6yQRE2h2
— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) February 10, 2026
Cue Kansas going full damage control.
"This person isn't with us," Kansas comms boss Daniel Berk posted. "He's a contracted stat guy for ESPN. No ties to KU. No access. Just speculating. We're handling it."
Yikes.
Peterson, projected by CBS as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has had a weird freshman season. When he's played, he's been a bucket, averaging 20.5 points and 4.2 boards on 49 percent shooting. But he's only played in 13 of 24 games thanks to a hamstring injury and some mysterious load management.
Darryn Peterson resume so far:
* Missed half of Kansas' games
* Sat out 2nd half against your biggest competition for No. 1 pick (AJ Dybantsa)
* Sat out vs. No. 1 team in the countryI know this will be unpopular on Twitter - but no way I'm drafting him No. 1 overall pic.twitter.com/rU7y2ab9EB
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) February 10, 2026
Self said he expected Peterson to play Monday. "We were all hopeful adrenaline would kick in," he said.
Instead, Kansas beat Arizona without their star — and the internet got a new sideline circus.
