Bill Self goes in depth on Darryn Peterson’s latest issue — and possible solutions
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- Bill Self reports freshman guard Darryn Peterson day-to-day with quad cramping.
- Medical and training staff pursue hydration, electrolytes, stretching and nutrition.
- Self says Peterson can practice and play but cramping limits full effectiveness.
Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson, who did not play in the final minutes of the Jayhawks’ overtime victory over North Carolina State on Saturday because of cramping in his quads, is listed day-to-day entering Tuesday night’s home game against Towson.
“He practiced today but he’s got some cramping stuff,” Self said Monday on his Hawk Talk radio show. “It is what it is right now. We were concerned — the last three weeks it was his hamstring (tightness). It’s not that. It’s moved into cramping into his quads. It’s something that I know happens to athletes and there are probably different reasons it can happen.”
Self said members of the Jayhawks’ medical and training staff are “still trying to get our arms around it” and solve the cramping problem that has affected Peterson much of the nonconference season.
Regarding possible solutions to Peterson’s cramping, Self said: “The thing about it is, including myself, I think everybody has a homemade remedy on how to fix cramping … everybody.
“I’ve heard from a lot of people, smart people, smarter than me, a lot smarter. We’ve also heard from people that went to med school at Harvard and Oxford — places like that, too — that actually have studied it. We’ve talked to a lot of folks. We’re still trying to get our arms around it.”
Self noted that “it is something he can practice with and play with but certainly not play to the effectiveness that he potentially is capable of playing to because of that reason.”
Self said Peterson’s cramping issue “is not injury related unless cramping is considered an injury. Then if it is considered an injury, then it is. We’ve got to get our arms around it,” he repeated.
Self said possible solutions, some that may have been tried, include “hydration, electrolytes, nutrition, stretching, yoga.”
“There are a lot of things that you could do for a lot of different things, and it’s all being looked at and talked about,” Self said. “And I think I only mentioned like half of them. There’s mustard packs that you can eat. There are a lot of different things that you could do that are home remedies about different things, and I’m open and game for any ideas that anyone has. But a lot of them that (fans) have, have already been discussed in kind of a boardroom-type setting with a lot of people involved.”
Self maintained that the Jayhawks will “figure it out” regarding Peterson’s cramping.
“We will, but he’s still laboring because gosh dang, what he’s done (in rehab) to put himself in a position to be out there the whole time is pretty impressive,” Self said. “But now it just feels like he’s hindered and can’t let go.”
Peterson played in KU’s first two games, then missed seven straight contests before playing in wins over Missouri and North Carolina State.
“I think he’s frustrated. I think he’s human,” Self said Monday night. “But I also think that there’s a lot of things that could be worse than dealing with this even though it’s super frustrating.
“You look around what happened in the NFL yesterday (Patrick Mahomes’ ACL injury) and different things that happen all the time, and yes, it stinks, but it’s also not the end of the earth. And let’s make the most of it and come back — and we know he will.”
Self acknowledged the injury is “taking a toll from a frustration standpoint in a lot of people.”
“Because so many people have opinions on what everybody should be doing all the time, and that’s the way of the world now with social media and talk shows and podcasts and everything else going on,” Self continued. “Even though people have talked (about Peterson) being an early draft pick and all these things, it’s just six months ago he was in high school, so it’s still kind of a learning process for everybody to deal with.
“He’ll deal with it. He’ll be better for it, but it does stink. It’s frustrating for everybody.”
Hawk Talk host Brian Hanni suggested to Self that Peterson’s status for the Towson game would likely be decided depending on how the guard feels at shootaround.
“Yeah, probably,” Self said. “But the biggest thing is he’s got to be able to get through a long period of exertion. And, you know, practice isn’t games. And even though we’d like to say that you are going to play like you practice and all those things, and that is true to an extent, but the adrenaline and the intensity and things like that are amped up in a game.”
