Darryn Peterson's 'Disappointing' Early Exit vs. OSU Discussed by Kansas' Bill Self in Video

Kansas head coach Bill Self addressed a cramping issue that limited Darryn Peterson to just three minutes in the second half of Kansas' 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Self called Peterson's limited second-half availability against the Cowboys "disappointing" because of how well he was playing up to that point.

Peterson has missed 11 games so far this season due to various injuries, including cramping, hamstring and ankle issues. The freshman phenom looked incredible in the minutes he did play on Wednesday, scoring 23 points in 18 minutes.

Self also addressed the possibility of Peterson suffering from physical maladies during the NCAA tournament and how that might impact the team.

"You get into the NCAA tournament, you're playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak. All it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season. It's concerning, but I do think we're making progress with it."

Self did make a point of noting that his team has grown accustomed to playing without Peterson.

"One thing about it is [cramping] has happened enough that our guys have learned to play without him, even though that's not the way we want to play," Self said. "But that's certainly something we're not unaccustomed to right now."

A potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Peterson's stock doesn't appear to have been significantly impacted to this point. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie reported last month that five league executives and scouts still view Peterson as an elite prospect, but they will look into his injury issues once the pre-draft process begins.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman has Peterson going to the Sacramento Kings with the top pick in his most recent mock draft, though it was acknowledged his "durability and competitiveness have become talking points" within the NBA.

Peterson has been a dominant offensive force for the Jayhawks when he is on the floor. The 19-year-old is averaging 20.0 points on 48.5 percent shooting (43.1 percent from three), 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in 15 starts.