Darryn Peterson’s family involved in decisions on his KU status, Bill Self says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bill Self says Peterson’s family is making the decision to keep him out.
- Peterson has missed nine games this season due to hamstring strain and cramps.
- He averages 19.3 points and remains projected as a top pick in 2026 drafts.
After Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson did not play in KU’s blowout victory over Davidson on Monday, coach Bill Self gave more context on who made the decision — and why — to keep him out of recent games.
Peterson missed his second straight game (ninth of the season) Monday night. He missed seven games earlier this year due to a hamstring strain. The two recent missed games have come as a result of quad cramping, which Self has said is unrelated to the hamstring injury.
In total, Peterson has played in just four of No. 17 KU’s 13 games. His next chance to play will be against UCF on Jan. 3.
“I think he’s doing well,” Self said of Peterson postgame, then referring to his family. “They’re going to make a decision. You know, they made a decision, which I don’t disagree with it at all, that they want him to be as close to 100% as possible when he comes back. He’s just not quite there yet. It’s a day-to-day deal. He will be (OK). I wish he could have played tonight, but fact of the matter, other guys got some run and they did well.”
A reporter asked Self who he was referring to by saying “they,” regarding decision-making on Peterson’s status. Self said it was Peterson’s family.
“His family,” Self answered. “The thing about it is, we talked about this. We are in agreement with the family that he should not play until he feels good. We are in agreement. I’m not inside his head or his body that I can determine if he feels good enough or not. That’s up to him. He wants to be out there, but he’s just not quite ready.”
Those quotes from Self are notable, because they somewhat differ from previous comments he has made about Peterson’s availability.
After Peterson did not play against UConn, at the time his seventh missed game for the hamstring issue, Self said it was a combination of testing results and Peterson’s confidence level holding him out. He later said, in part, “I said all along, we are not going to play him until he is (100%). It was as much my decision as anything.”
Peterson has dealt with injury issues all season. The cramping affected him in KU’s exhibition contests against Louisville and Fort Hays State. He missed the latter contest. Then came the hamstring injury, followed by an additional bout of cramping.
Peterson’s status has been an ongoing storyline this season. He is a projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick in 2026 by various media outlets — despite the missed time. And he is averaging 19.3 points and 3.8 rebounds when he does play for KU.
If there is a silver lining, Self said it has come in opportunities for others.
“Hopefully, giving some other guys some opportunities will make us deeper,” Self said, “as we get deeper into conference play.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 10:51 PM.
