Kansas star Darryn Peterson sat out the last few minutes of the Jayhawks’ 86-75 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday due to cramping issues. Peterson has had a troubled college basketball career so far, missing nine games due to a hamstring injury and often leaving games early due to incessant cramping issues.
Despite only playing in seven games in his nascent career so far, Peterson has averaged 22.6 points on 47.6% shooting from the floor and 41.5% shooting from beyond the arc, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for Kansas this season.
Bill Self Gives Darryn Peterson Update Ahead of Iowa State Test
The Jayhawks will face a massive test on Tuesday night when they host the undefeated No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones (16-0) at Allen Fieldhouse, and Peterson’s health and durability during the game will be the key to any potential victory for coach Bill Self’s team.
During his weekly news conference before the Jayhawks play against the Cyclones, Self revealed that Kansas was stumped about Peterson’s constant late-game struggles with cramping.
“There’s no prediction on when or if things are going to start bothering him in the second half,” Self said. “There’s also no indication that we know of that the load actually impacts when that (cramping) actually occurs. No indication of that whatsoever.
“In practice, we haven’t had any indication, regardless of the load, if that actually impacts him,” Self said. “Whether we put him out there for 75 minutes in practice or as opposed to 45 minutes, he feels the exact same way at the end of 75 as he does the 45. There’s probably no medical way to actually determine what the best thing is.”
Kansas is having a mixed season and has a 5-5 record in Quadrant 1 & 2 games, and the Jayhawks will face an elite Cyclones defense that is No. 9 in the country in points allowed (62.9 ppg) for a chance to notch a Quad 1 win.
Without Peterson’s presence, the Jayhawks have looked like a borderline top-25 team, with a NET ranking of No. 21 and a KenPom ranking of No. 23. The rest of the roster has filled the output gaps left by the talented guard’s absence. Still, the quality gap is evident during ranked matchups.
Peterson’s supporting cast, featuring Flory Bidunga (13.9 PPG), Tre White (15.2 PPG), and Melvin Council Jr. (13.6 PPG), has all stepped up their production. However, the Jayhawks are currently 1-2 in Big 12 play and 11-5 overall.
Despite his constant injury woes, Peterson has been tabbed to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, ahead of BYU Cougars star AJ Dybantsa and Duke Blue Devils standout Cameron Boozer.
