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Kansas guard Darryn Peterson didn't do himself any favors against Houston in the Big 12 Tournament semifinal on Friday night. The projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was held to 14 points in 28 minutes in the 69-47 loss to the Cougars.
The story not found on a box score is Peterson being held scoreless from the field in the second half. He also exited the game with over six minutes left, which has been notable over the second half of the season. Overall, the Jayhawks' leader was 3-11 with two three-pointers made.
The performance from Peterson was uninspiring to say the least. Houston had their way with him and pulled out every stop down the stretch. Kingston Flemings took the spotlight and ran with it. The Cougars guard finished with 21 points on the night. He wasn't alone as Chris Cenac Jr. put up a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
SN AWARDS: All-America team | Boozer Player of the Year | Lloyd Coach of the Year
For Kansas, the projected four-seed in the NCAA Tournament, the flaws could be exposed by the right team down the stretch. Peterson isn't the top-tier star to lift the efforts in crunch time like he's touted to be. He has the talent to be the "next Kobe Bryant," as some NBA scouts believe he does. However, none of that came to the surface against the defensive strength Houston displayed in Kansas City.
More: What NBA execs are saying about BYU's AJ Dybantsa amid Big 12 Tournament
This was Kansas' first 20+ point loss in Big 12 Tournament history. Now Kelvin Sampson's team will face Arizona on Saturday night for the Big 12 title.
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- Mike Krzyzewski fights against NCAA Tournament expansion
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