Has Darryn Peterson missed games for ‘load management’? Former coach speaks out
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Darryn Peterson has played 10 games for KU due to ankle, hamstring, quad, cramp issues.
- Peterson averages 21.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 27.2 minutes, still possible No. 1 pick.
- Former coach Bernardi: missed games due to injuries & recovery; not load management.
The 2025-26 season hasn’t exactly gone as planned for freshman Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball star Darryn Peterson.
His talent is undeniable. He’s lived up to the hype, and then some. The issue is his health: The freshman, expected to be a top pick in this year’s NBA Draft, has played in just 10 games for KU because of a variety of health concerns.
As he gets ready to face BYU and freshman star AJ Dybantsa on Saturday, Peterson is still not fully healthy.
He’s coming off an ankle sprain, but more importantly he’s still managing a cramping issue. He’s still yet to play more than 32 minutes in any game this season.
He’s also dealt with a hamstring strain, a separate quad issue and an illness — all this season. And still, despite all of that, he’s averaging 21.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game he’s played.
He’s still also seen as the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, according to most experts. His competition to be selected No. 1 includes Duke’s Cameron Boozer and none other than Dybantsa.
Prolific Prep coach Ryan Bernardi, who coached Peterson in his senior year of high school, offered insight into Peterson’s mindset this season.
He believes Peterson can still reach another level of play in his game.
“The craziest thing is he’s yet to feel like himself,” Bernardi said. “He’s yet to have the burst and pop he’s (known) for. Hopefully, Kansas fans can see that.”
Not only has the entire ordeal been difficult for Peterson, but he’s seen what some fans have said about him on social media.
“They’ve been mad at me on Twitter and stuff saying I’m stealing money and doing all type of stuff, but I love the game. I’m never going to just sit out because hoop (is) my life, how I feed the ‘fam,’ so never would I just sit out just to sit out,” Peterson said in a December video posted to his YouTube Channel.
Bernardi, who communicates with Peterson regularly, shut down the notion that Peterson isn’t trying his hardest to be fully healthy, or that he’s practicing “load management.”
“I think he wanted to miss anything; if Darryn wasn’t all in at Kansas, you would have seen a shutdown for an indefinite amount of time,” the coach said. “I think the fact that everything’s been day-to-day has shown how hard Darryn, his family, and his representation have been trying to get him back.
“I think it would have been quite easy with these cramps and kind of the uncertainty of the injury, to just say, ‘Hey, he’s out indefinitely,’ go to Los Angeles and just start rehab.
“That’s how it looks like if someone is not totally engaged and locked in. That’s clearly not the case with Darryn.”
