Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson returns to practice. Will he play against UConn?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Coach Bill Self announced Peterson returned to practice; game status pending.
- Peterson has missed six games with a hamstring strain; KU went 5-1 without him.
- Decision on Peterson’s availability will follow medical strength and flexibility tests.
Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson is practicing, coach Bill Self said Monday afternoon, but his status for the Jayhawks’ next game is not yet decided.
The freshman star has missed No. 21 KU’s last six games due to a hamstring strain. His status for KU’s game against No. 5 UConn on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse is still to be determined.
Self noted that if Peterson is playing, he will start.
“He has practiced. He’s gone up and down,” Self said. “The hesitancy I have is that before we announce anything, he has to test out medically from a strength and flexibility standpoint. We’ll know that in the morning. So still no answer, but we’ll be able to say something definitively in the morning.”
Fellow freshman Bryson Tiller said he likes what he’s seen from Peterson behind the scenes.
“He’s looked pretty good,” Tiller said. “We are excited to have him back whenever that is.”
In the six games without Peterson, KU has a 5-1 record, most notably winning three straight games in the Players Era tournament. Kansas finished in third place in the tournament and earned an additional $300,000 in NIL compensation.
The last time Peterson played was on Nov. 7 against UNC. The Jayhawks lost, but Peterson dropped 22 points and grabbed three rebounds.
Self said there have been positives to playing without Peterson, as the Jayhawks attempt to settle into their roles early in the season. Kansas last defeated a ranked Tennessee squad in the third-place game in Las Vegas.
“We didn’t play great the first game. We played better against Syracuse. And then I thought we were great (against Tennessee),” Self said. “Even when we were behind, we were playing the right way. We played downhill, shared the ball, guarded, rebounded. They had some guys not have big nights, but I think in large part we took away some good looks.”
The game against the Huskies is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday and will be shown on ESPN2.
