Kansas squanders its best player as Darryn Peterson's college career ends with second-round loss to St. John's

The Peterson era in Lawrence is likely over.

SAN DIEGO -- For a few brief moments inside Viejas Arena on Sunday, there was hope for Kansas.

After trailing by as many as 14 points against No. 5 seed St. John's in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where Kansas looked completely outmatched for almost the entire game, star guard Darryn Peterson knocked down a pair of free throws to somehow tie the game with 13 seconds remaining.

Then came heartbreak. 

St. John's guard Dylan Darling sent his team to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999 after scoring a layup with no time remaining in the Red Storm's 67-65 win over No. 4 seed Kansas. The Jayhawks have now failed to reach the Sweet 16 in four consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1980s.

St. John's buzzer beater: Coach Rick Pitino says then-scoreless Dylan Darling called his epic shot in huddle David Cobb

For all intents and purposes, time has run out on the Peterson era at Kansas after he scored 21 points in what should be his final game at the school. Whenever it happens, Peterson will declare for the 2026 NBA Draft, where he could be the No. 1 overall pick. The player that Kansas coach Bill Self has said repeatedly was the "best player" he had recruited at Kansas saw his career end before the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

Anticipated season for KU

If you go back about a calendar year, those same Kansas fans had a sense of hope after a disastrous season that saw the program become the second team to lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament after being the preseason AP No. 1 team. The reason for that hope? Peterson.

This season was a double-edged sword for those following along.

Peterson became one of the most talked-about people in the sports world. And at times, it was for all the wrong reasons. Peterson dealt with severe cramping that caused him to miss 11 games. Peterson admitted earlier this month that the cramping was so bad at one point, he ended up in the hospital needing IV fluids.

For better or worse, people have had plenty to say about Peterson. The takes ranged from people who watched every second of his time at Kansas, to talking heads who stumbled across his name for the first time. After the loss, Peterson opened up to CBS Sports about whether any of the narratives around his name bothered him, calling them "BS."

"If I was able to be out there, I would've been out there," Peterson said. "I've seen some stuff about me not loving basketball. Not wanting to play. Being a bad teammate, or load management, and all that other BS, I would say. I said before, basketball is all I know. It's all I've ever had besides my family. There's nothing I love more."

With Peterson's college career all but over, the attention now turns to the future of Kansas' basketball program. There's no blue-chip recruit like Peterson coming around to save the Jayhawks. Tyran Stokes, the No. 1-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, could end up at Kansas, but he isn't the same kind of player or NBA prospect that Peterson is.

How much longer for Self?

The other major storyline that will surround the program heading into the offseason is how much longer will Self be the coach at Kansas? The 63-year-old Hall of Famer isn't getting any younger. He has faced health challenges in recent years, including a heart procedure and periodic hospital visits. 

"I don't know about completely, but I'm feeling -- I feel as good as I've felt in a long time," Self said. "I'm not making any statements whatsoever, but every year, I think -- it used to be when you get to be, doing it as long as I've done it, I look at it in five-year increments.  Now I'm probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak.  So I try to focus on this season and try to get us to a second weekend, which we failed at. So I'll go back now and break it down and see where that leads."

Since Self guided Kansas to a national title in 2022, the Jayhawks have won just three NCAA Tournament games. The wins? No. 16 seed Howard, No. 13 seed Samford and No. 13 seed California Baptist this season, where the Jayhawks nearly gave away a 26-point advantage late in the game.

An era of Kansas basketball ended on Sunday, whether Self knows it or not. The chances of him getting a player of Peterson's caliber via high school recruiting, for however long he still coaches, are minimal. It's not a diss at anyone Kansas may or may not recruit. Peterson has the potential to be an All-NBA player one day. Even if he only played in 23 games, there were plenty of flashes of that potential throughout the season.

Peterson's time at Kansas ended when the game clock hit zero against St. John's. There's no magic game clock that's counting down the end of Self's coaching career, but in basketball terms, you would think it's counting down somewhere deep in the second half.

Time is running out.