Darryn Peterson Injury Update, Conditions for Timeline to Return Revealed by Bill Self

Kansas star freshman and potential 2026 No. 1 draft pick Darryn Peterson has been limited to four games due to quad and hamstring injuries, and his family is in no rush to get him back on the court.

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self revealed that Peterson's family determined that he shouldn't return until he's fully healthy, and he supports the decision.

"[Peterson's family] made a decision, which I don't disagree with it at all, that they want him to be as close to 100 percent as possible when he comes back," Self said after Monday's 90-61 win over Davidson, per ESPN's Myron Metcalf. "He's just not quite there yet. It's a day-to-day deal. He will be [ready]. I wish he could have played tonight, but the fact of the matter is other guys got some run and did well. So hopefully giving other guys some opportunities will make us deeper when we get into conference play."

Despite his limited availability so far this season, Peterson has already convinced the masses that he could be a future superstar in the NBA. In his latest mock draft, B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicted that the Washington Wizards would use the No. 1 overall pick to select Peterson. However, Wasserman noted that his health could be a determining factor in him securing the top spot.

"We're still hearing support for Peterson at No. 1, though there are scouts who also have [Duke's] Cameron Boozer and [BYU's] AJ Dybantsa as their top prospect," Wasserman stated. "The conversation will remain fluid, likely until June, unless Peterson returns to full strength and consistently shows how impactful he can be with offense running through his ball-handling and three-level scoring."

In his four appearances, Peterson has averaged 19.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals. The sharpshooting guard has been a model of efficiency, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Self went on to add that Peterson's absence has helped the 10-3 Jayhawks commit to the defensive end while allowing other players to step up on offense. However, the freshman star is pushing to rejoin his teammates sooner rather than later.

"We've talked about this. We're in agreement with the family that he should not play until he feels good," Self said. "We're in agreement. But 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. He's just not ready."