Kansas star Darryn Peterson led the No. 17 Jayhawks to a narrow 77-76 win over the NC State Wolf Pack in overtime on Sunday evening. Peterson tallied 17.0 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 31 minutes of action.
It was Peterson’s second game after returning from a hamstring injury that had forced him to miss seven games. With two minutes left in the contest, he exited the game with an apparent injury once again.
Bill Self Addresses Darryn Peterson’s Injury Woes
On Monday, Forbes’ Evan Sidery reported on X that the Jayhawks were considering shutting down Peterson for the rest of the season due to his recurrent injuries.
“There is significant discussion around Darryn Peterson, the current favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick, being shut down due to a lingering hamstring injury. Peterson exited yesterday’s game due to further hamstring tightness. Conference play for Kansas begins next month,” Sidery tweeted.
During his weekly news conference, Kansas coach Bill Self addressed Peterson’s injury woes while de-escalating the speculation about the guard’s status for the rest of the season.
“I have not heard the word hamstring one time,” Self said. “So that’s coming from our medical staff. It’s got to get addressed, and it hasn’t obviously, yet. And I know it’s so frustrating for him, because he gets out there and he can’t move.
“And if you can’t move like you’re normally moving, then you become cautious to try to move. And we’ve got to figure that out and we certainly haven’t done it yet,” he added.
In several circles, Peterson is considered one of the favorites to become the No. 1 pick during the 2026 NBA Draft, alongside BYU Cougars star AJ Dybantsa and Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer.
Self Confident About Peterson’s Comeback
Peterson’s cramping issues have dogged him late in games, forcing him to be withdrawn since the Jayhawks’ exhibition games against the Louisville Cardinals. During his weekly news conference, Self was confident that despite the frustration of the recurring injuries, the Kansas star would find a solution and make his return.
“He’s still laboring because gosh dang, what he’s done (in rehab) to put himself in a position to be out there the whole time is pretty impressive,” Self said. “I think he’s frustrated. I think he’s human.
“I also think that there’s a lot of things that could be worse than dealing with this even though it’s super frustrating. Yes, it stinks, but it’s also not the end of the earth. And let’s make the most of it and come back and we know he will.”
Peterson is averaging 19.3 points on 52.8% shooting from the floor and 42.3% shooting from beyond the arc, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for the Jayhawks in limited game time this season.
