KU basketball will be without Darryn Peterson for ‘immediate future,’ Bill Self says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Darryn Peterson remains day-to-day with right hamstring tightness, missed two games.
- Decision on Peterson’s availability vs. Duke awaits medical review and practice status.
- Coach Bill Self prioritizing long-term health over immediate Champions Classic result.
Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson has missed two games due to hamstring tightness and his status remains day-to-day, according to coach Bill Self on Saturday.
After KU’s victory over Princeton, Self said the Jayhawks won’t have Peterson for the “immediate future.”
“We’re not, obviously, going to have him at least for the immediate future,” Self said as part of another answer about the team’s 3-point shooting. “I just don’t know how long that’ll be.”
Peterson missed KU’s game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday as well as Saturday’s contest due to the injury.
As for his status for the Champions Classic against Duke in Madison Square Garden? Self didn’t give a definitive answer about that upcoming matchup, which tips 8 p.m. Tuesday night.
“We’ve got some things to discuss,” Self said. “We’re looking at him. He’s getting the best treatment. He will heal … but he’s got tightness in his right hamstring.”
The matchup between the two blue bloods is highly anticipated for many reasons. If Peterson were to play, he’d face off against Duke freshman Cameron Boozer. The two players are in contention for the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
“(Peterson) wants to be out there so bad, but I’m not going to put him out there until he feels well,” Self continued. “You can say or think we’re trying to win the battle. Well, yeah, we are, but the battle is not near as important as the long term.”
The Jayhawks’ star freshman has already missed a notable amount of time.
He did not play in an exhibition game against Fort Hays State and played limited minutes in another exhibition game against Louisville due to what Self called “cramping” at the time.
Fast forward to this week: Self said after Tuesday’s game that Peterson’s hamstring felt tight in the pregame shootaround. A source close to Peterson had told The Star on Monday, the day before, that Peterson was dealing with a hamstring issue, though multiple sources have downplayed the long-term significance of the injury.
On Friday, Self echoed that sentiment, that Peterson had been dealing with the hamstring issue in previous days. He didn’t practice Thursday or Friday this week.
“We’ve got to get him where he’s not hesitant to play,” Self said Saturday. “We have seen him play, and he’s pretty good, and we still haven’t seen him whole yet. Think about that.
“You know, we need to get him where he can explode without the thought in his mind that something negative can happen. And it probably won’t, but I don’t want to put him in a situation where he’s got to think about that.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 5:31 PM.
