Stephen A. Smith fires back at Darryn Peterson: 'Actions speak louder than your words'

Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson tried to downplay the noise. But Stephen A. Smith wasn’t having it.

After Kansas’ 78-71 win over No. 2 Houston on Monday night, Peterson addressed the national attention that has followed him through the season. The projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft said he ignores the chatter surrounding his missed games and in-game exits.

“Somebody has had something to say probably after every game,” Peterson said. “I don’t really pay attention.” He added that he has “kind of been an anti-social loner my whole life” when asked how he handles criticism.

On Tuesday's episode of ESPN's First Take, Smith responded with his own assessmentof what's happening in Lawrence.

“What he has to understand as a grown man growing into manhood is your actions speak louder than your words,” Smith said. “Reality is you’ve missed 11 or 12 games in your first collegiate season for stuff like cramps and the flu, and you’ve let coaches know minutes before games that you couldn’t go. You’re already showing an inability to be relied upon in terms of your availability. That’s reality. Those are facts.”

Peterson finished with a quiet 14 points against Houston, scoring eight before halftime as the Jayhawks rallied after an early deficit. He hit two 3-pointers but was frequently double-teamed and struggled to create easy looks.

Kansas (21-7) earned its third home win over an AP Top 5 opponent this season and travels to Arizona on Saturday.

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