Bill Self says Darryn Peterson is 90-95% healthy. Here’s why he’s still sitting out
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Self cited test results and player confidence; Peterson at 90–95% not cleared
- Peterson missed seven games with a hamstring strain; Kansas went 5-2
- Staff plan rest day then aim for full-speed practices Thurs–Sat; next game Missouri
After Kansas basketball’s loss to No. 5 UConn on Tuesday night, coach Bill Self gave further explanation into why freshman Darryn Peterson didn’t play.
The Jayhawks announced earlier in the day Peterson would miss the contest, his seventh straight game sitting out while recovering from a hamstring injury.
“The combination of (the testing results) and his confidence level (in) letting him go, guys, he’s 90-95%,” Self said. “But he wasn’t 100. I said all along, we are not going to play him until he is. It was as much my decision as anything, but I also sensed he wasn’t quite there yet.”
On Monday, Self had indicated there was a chance Peterson could play, pending the results of testing Tuesday morning. But then came the announcement that Peterson was out.
“Darryn is not going to play tonight,” Self said in a statement Tuesday morning. “He is very close. He has worked his butt off, but he’s still not 100 percent. He is day-to-day.”
Peterson returned to practice late last week. The Jayhawks’ next game is Sunday against Missouri. Presumably, he could return for that game.
“He had a really good day today,” Self continued Tuesday night. “Tomorrow will be his off day and then, hopefully, if there’s no setbacks he will be practicing with us on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, full speed.”
In the seven games without Peterson, Kansas has a 5-2 record. The last time game he played was on Nov. 7 against UNC.
There was hope from those around the program that Peterson could return vs. UConn, but his next chance to play will be against the Jayhawks’ Border War rival.
Overall, Peterson has played in just two collegiate games. Before the season, the projected No. 1 pick for next year’s NBA Draft dealt with what KU called a “cramping issue,” which limited him in the second half against Louisville and kept him sidelined for KU’s game against Fort Hays State.
The program has since termed his injury a hamstring strain.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 12:07 AM.
