00:00I know you talked to the Wizards.
00:01Did you learn anything new about the organization
00:03through those conversations?
00:04I was surprised by how much they wanted to talk about
00:07Darren as a person today instead of basketball.
00:09They probably asked two basketball questions
00:10and the rest was about me.
00:14I wonder if he expressed that surprise
00:18because he seemed bothered by it
00:21during the interview with the Wizards.
00:24That would be interesting to know
00:26because that's an off-putting answer.
00:30From my guy, Ned.
00:31Ned writes, spot on on Peterson's answer.
00:35How detached do you have to be
00:38to not know why they're asking questions
00:42about you versus your basketball?
00:45Seemed arrogant.
00:47It's not the word I would use, Ned.
00:49It seems detached and or disingenuous.
00:55I would certainly lean towards the second part of that
00:59because I don't know how they could have sheltered him
01:03from the storm that was swirling around him
01:07the entire season.
01:08For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about,
01:11Darren Peterson played at Kansas this year.
01:13He was, from the jump,
01:15a projected number one pick overall.
01:18Now, that kind of happened in late summer of 25
01:25because if you go back to the early part of 25,
01:28people were talking about Cam Boozer.
01:30Even if you go back to 24,
01:31the all-too-early 26 mock drafts,
01:34it was kind of Boozer back then.
01:36But anyway, Darren Peterson,
01:40incredible talent, incredible scorer,
01:43effortless, methodical,
01:45doesn't get sped up,
01:47SGA's a comp.
01:48There are a lot of different comps for him.
01:49He actually comped himself to Devin Booker.
01:51I didn't like that comp.
01:53I don't see him playing like Devin Booker,
01:54but I guess that's his favorite player.
01:56But the storyline around Darren Peterson
01:59all season long
02:00was really a dual storyline.
02:04Number one is, wow, is he good?
02:06And number two is,
02:09was, why doesn't he play a lot?
02:12Are they load managing him?
02:13Is he legitimately hurt?
02:17And he missed big games.
02:19He missed 11 of the 35 games Kansas played.
02:22He checked out of five games
02:25after he played in those games,
02:28complaining about ankle injuries or cramping.
02:31There was clearly a cramping issue
02:34that put him in the emergency room
02:36at one point before the season started,
02:37where he says he thought he was dying.
02:40I'm not disputing any of the physical ailments
02:45he had during the season
02:47as, you know, psychosomatic
02:50or an excuse for load management or whatever.
02:55It's very possible that all of it was legitimate.
02:57The most recent story was creatine usage,
03:00overusage.
03:01That caused the hydration issues,
03:03which caused the cramping.
03:05The most notable absence was a stunning absence.
03:09Early February,
03:11Kansas is getting ready to host
03:13the number one team in the country, Arizona,
03:15in one of the season's biggest games.
03:17He goes through warmups,
03:19the whole thing,
03:19and pulls himself from the game
03:2130 minutes before tip.
03:22Seemed to frustrate the hell out of Bill Self
03:25and the Kansas staff,
03:26but they moved on.
03:28They won the game.
03:30In that particular game, yeah.
03:32Yeah, right?
03:33I'm forgetting.
03:34They beat BYU in a game
03:35which he took himself out of
03:36in the second half.
03:37But anyway,
03:38the storyline with him all year long,
03:41A, he's good.
03:42B, what's going on?
03:45For him to act like he was surprised,
03:48and if you watch the answer,
03:51I would have said,
03:53describe how he looked
03:54when he answered that question.
03:56Bothered.
03:57About the Wizards wanting to know
03:59more about him
04:01than his game.
04:03First of all,
04:04I had Brian Keefe on the show yesterday.
04:05I asked him,
04:06what do you typically want to learn?
04:08We want to learn about them.
04:09So even if he didn't have
04:10all of this stuff
04:11around him,
04:13swirling around him,
04:14they're still going to ask questions
04:16trying to learn more about the person.
04:18That's what these interviews
04:19are always about.
04:20The combine in Chicago
04:22for the NBA,
04:23the combine in Indy,
04:24for the NFL.
04:25You got the tape.
04:27You know he can play.
04:28You know what you think
04:29about his basketball.
04:32But yes,
04:34there's no way
04:35it was like,
04:37oh my God,
04:37I'm surprised you're asking me
04:39about me
04:40because my circle of people
04:42kept me sheltered all season long
04:44and I had no idea
04:45people were talking about
04:46the games that I missed.
04:47It's not that.
04:49There's no chance
04:50it was that.
04:52It was dishonest.
04:55And looking bothered
04:56by that,
04:57I wonder if he expressed
04:59that in front of the team.
05:00I'm telling you,
05:01you know,
05:02I had John Fanta
05:03on the show Monday.
05:04I asked John
05:05about the thought
05:07about Darren Peterson
05:08around the league
05:09and what the concerns would be.
05:10And he said,
05:11the circle.
05:12And if the team
05:14isn't comfortable
05:15that the people
05:16around Darren Peterson
05:17don't know
05:18that once he becomes
05:19a pro,
05:20their vote
05:21doesn't count
05:22anymore,
05:23they won't take him.
05:26This will be
05:27a fascinating
05:29watch
05:30to see if teams
05:32after interviewing him,
05:34after doing all
05:34their due diligence,
05:35say,
05:36unbelievable talent,
05:37but not worth
05:39that level
05:40of an investment.
05:42Is it possible
05:43he could fall
05:43to three
05:44or four
05:45in the draft?
05:47Yeah,
05:48I think it's possible.
05:50Ben Standing next.
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