Syracuse basketball won’t face projected top NBA draft pick in Las Vegas tournament

Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse men’s basketball will not face one of the best players in college basketball in Las Vegas next week.

Kansas coach Bill Self ruled out freshman guard Darryn Peterson for the Players Era Festival as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

“We’re not going to have Darryn in Vegas,” Self said. “Although, we have reevaluated and he’s right there close. But he hasn’t quite done enough to put him in position to go out and play multiple games in a short span like that. So we’re hopeful he’s running and cutting and doing all those things while we’re in Vegas, but not to the point where he’s probably ready to play.”

Peterson is a dynamic three-level scorer who averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 60% in the two games he got on the floor this season.

He is currently projected by ESPN to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Peterson hasn’t played since Kansas’ road loss to North Carolina on Nov. 7.

Kansas plays Notre Dame on Monday and Syracuse on Tuesday in Las Vegas. The Jawhawks are hoping to have Peterson back for a Dec. 2 matchup against UConn.

Sophomore forward Floy Bidunga is Kansas’ second-leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points per game. Senior guard Tre White has averaged 15 ppg in five games this season for the Jayhawks.

Even with Peterson out, SU will still face plenty of the top-level players in college basketball this season in Las Vegas.

SU opens with No. 2 Houston on Monday night.

Cougars’ freshman forward Chris Cenac, freshman point guard Kingston Flemings and junior forward Joseph Tugler are all projected first-round picks by ESPN.