Will KU basketball's Darryn Peterson still have a minutes restriction?

Postgame Saturday, after an 81-75 loss at UCF, Kansas basketball coach Bill Self shared how he envisioned the game playing out for Darryn Peterson.

Peterson, the Jayhawks’ star freshman guard, had missed nine of the team’s previous 13 games due to injury issues. Self told reporters that everyone, including himself and the doctors, wanted to have a minutes restriction in the first half. Self explained on the Varsity Network postgame show, too, that by game’s end the plan was for Peterson to finish up at around 24 minutes of action.

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But then came senior guard Melvin Council Jr.’s foul trouble in the first half, and redshirt sophomore guard Elmarko Jackson dealing with a hurt knee. Then came Peterson’s stellar play, with 23 points before halftime helping keep No. 17 KU in the game on the road. Peterson ended up spending about 18 minutes on the court in the first half.

It all led to a second half in which Self thought Peterson started out fine, but became limited while not feeling 100%, and would end up finishing with 26 points in close to 23 minutes of total game time. Self volunteered the hope was he’d have been able to control Peterson’s minutes better in the first half. And it leaves one to wonder if, with the Jayhawks' next game Tuesday at home against TCU, Peterson will continue to have a minutes restriction as Kansas (10-4, 0-1 in Big 12) progresses through Big 12 Conference play.

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“I think a lot just depends on his legs and how he feels,” Self said.

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Apart from dealing with a little bit of rust, Self thought Peterson played well and showcased an explosiveness that hadn’t been there in recent weeks. Peterson, who shot 5-for-10 from behind the arc, finished with career highs of 26 points and six rebounds. Self acknowledged if he could have played Peterson less in the first half, he’s probably able to play Peterson more in a second half that saw the score tied at 72-72 heading into the final minute of the game.

KU senior guard Tre White explained he wasn’t sure if Peterson would come back into the game or not, when Peterson exited with a little less than 11 minutes left in the second half, and highlighted having a next-man-up mentality. White finished with a 14-point and 11-rebound double-double, while Council scored all 20 of his points in the second half to help keep the Jayhawks competitive. Their efforts, among others, just weren’t enough as the Knights pulled off the upset and fans stormed the court.

The loss doesn’t change that White and Council both enjoyed having Peterson back on the court with them, after he’d missed the past two games. Like White said, Peterson operates like a magnet for defenders on the court and opens up opportunities for teammates. For the team to be at its best, though, such as Peterson and Council playing off each other the way Self envisions, they need more time on the court together.

“He’s a good player,” Self said about Peterson. “We’ve got learn to play with him, and he’s got to learn to play with us, but he’s a really talented kid.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball, Darryn Peterson had minutes restriction plan at UCF