It felt like Kansas and Darryn Peterson were on a downward spiral. They lost to unranked Cincinnati and fell six spots in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. Peterson’s injury troubles did not seem to go away with uncertainty around his fitness. Yet, going up against No. 5 Houston, the Jayhawks pulled a rabbit out of their hat.

Peterson added 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in 30 minutes for the Jayhawks. Tre White had a season-high 23 points as Kansas cruised to a 69-56 win. It was not always smooth sailing, as Houston led by eight points at one stage, but Kansas soared on a 12-0 run early in the second half to eventually get the win. After the game, Kelvin Sampson commented on the uncertainty of the Jayhawks, which wasn’t taken too kindly by Darryn Peterson.

“Kansas is one of those teams that you just never know, but they’re pretty good,” Kelvin Sampson told the media. “But so are we. We’re pretty good, too. Maybe not tonight, but we’re pretty good.”

That could be interpreted in one of two ways. Either that Sampson was passing a slight critique that Kansas is inconsistent, or implying that the Jayhawks don’t know their identity yet. To add some context, the strength of this Kansas side also depends on the minutes Peterson plays. With a +/- of 14, he is the most impactful player on this squad.

In the press conference, Tre White was asked about their identity while referring to Kelvin Sampson’s words. “I feel like we kind of know our identity, but like he just said, we don’t know our ceiling. We haven’t touched our ceiling yet. We’re trying to get better every day. So, we definitely know our identity,” White provided a diplomatic answer. Even when the question was asked, Darryn Peterson looked confused and whispered something to Melvin Council Jr. As the player press conference wrapped up, Peterson decided to inquire about Sampson’s words.

“What do you mean by Kansas… You never know. What that mean?” asked Darryn Peterson. A reporter explained that this was what Houston boss Kelvin Sampson had said, along with some words that weren’t caught on the mic. Peterson replied, “Dang. I don’t like that.” To be fair, it seemed more like a throwaway comment rather than Peterson taking serious offense.

To Peterson, it could feel like Sampson was doubting his and Kansas’ potential. We are almost into March. By now, most teams have settled and found the right levers and pieces to play at their best. Kansas, owing in part to off-court controversies and Peterson’s availability, still seems uncertain. After an eight-game winning run, they were dominated by Iowa State and then lost to Cincinnati.

It applies stylistically as well. Coming into this game, their three-point rate stood at 35.9%. But against Houston, they attempted only 25% of their shots from behind the arc while being 9% more accurate than their average. The question was posed to Bill Self as well, asking whether he knows his team’s identity. “I think I have a decent feel for what we need to be. Sure. I’m not sure I know who we are totally,” Self answered. That has strong roots in Peterson’s unavailability. The team has not completely gelled, leading to strong criticism from outside voices and fans. Nevertheless, Peterson is staying focused on his fitness, sending a strong message to his critics.

Darryn Peterson Responds to Critics After Jay Bilas Comes to His Defense

Stephen A. Smith explicitly advised NBA teams not to draft Darryn Peterson. “There is no team in (expletive) that should grab Darryn Peterson No. 1,” he said on ESPN’s First Take. “You cannot do it. The first ability is availability.” Peterson has been seen asking to be taken out of games himself rather than the staff evaluating his fitness. “This is business. I can’t trust him. You cannot be trusted,” Smith said.

However, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas defended him, saying, “Shutting it down would be the easy way to go, and the NBA would take him No. 1. Trying to play is what’s causing these speculative issues about his character. … I don’t find it fair.” This led to further controversy regarding the fans’ right to criticize or not. Some think that fans are well within their limits to ask Peterson for clarity, while others agree with Bilas. While this firestorm blows up online, Peterson himself is staying away from the buzz.

“Somebody has something to say, probably after every game this year. So, I don’t really pay attention to it anymore,” Peterson said. “I been an antisocial loner my whole life, kind of so I kind of deal with it on my own.” Whatever the truth might be, one thing is true: Peterson is an elite talent.