Kansas’ Darryn Peterson misses final 17 minutes with cramping; ‘a concern,’ Bill Self says
Kansas star guard Darryn Peterson appeared on his way to a great performance Wednesday, the kind that displays why he’s viewed as a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
He scored 20 first-half points, and knocked down his first 3-point attempt of the second half, giving him 23 points in just 19 minutes. But after hitting that shot, he turned to the bench and asked to be taken out, sitting the final 17:22 of No. 8 Kansas’ 81-69 win over Oklahoma State.
Kansas coach Bill Self said Peterson was cramping — the latest in a string of injury issues that have plagued his freshman season.
“I thought he was good to go,” Self told reporters. “But we only got 18 minutes out of him. That’s disappointing because he could have had a really big night. But one thing about it is it’s happened often enough that our guys have learned to play without him even though that’s not the way we normally play, that’s certainly not something we’re unaccustomed to right now.”
Self said he “didn’t anticipate” that Peterson would be limited Wednesday.
DP hits a 3 and immediately turns to Self wanting out. #kubball pic.twitter.com/EbKNIDEuAC
— Crimson and the Burner (@crimsonblueburn) February 19, 2026
Peterson has appeared in 15 of KU’s 26 games this season, and of those 15, has played 30-plus minutes in just six. Injuries to his hamstring, quad and ankle, and flu-like symptoms have limited his availability. Wednesday wasn’t the first time cramping forced him to the bench during a game; he sat the final 16:46 against BYU (and fellow No. 1 pick contender AJ Dybantsa) on Jan. 31.
While Kansas (20-6, 10-3 Big 12) has won nine of its last 10 games to establish itself as a March contender, Self did say Peterson’s cramping was worrisome with the NCAA Tournament four weeks away.
“I thought we were past it, but obviously we’re not,” Self told reporters. “It’s certainly a concern. You get into the NCAA Tournament, you’re playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak. Yeah, all it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season. Yeah, it’s concerning, but I do think we’re making progress with it.”
The Jayhawks are 9-2 without Peterson, who is averaging 20 points in 26.9 minutes per game. Kansas hosts Cincinnati on Saturday.
