Darryn Peterson’s injury-plagued season took another discouraging turn Monday night. The Kansas freshman guard was held out against the Jayhawks’ 90-61 win over the Davidson Wildcats as he continues to recover from a lingering ailment, raising fresh concerns with Big 12 play fast approaching.
Before tipoff, head coach Bill Self described Peterson as “not quite there” physically. Self clarified that the decision to sit him was made collectively, with Peterson’s long-term health the priority.
“[His family] made a decision, which I don’t disagree with at all, that they want him to be as close to 100% as possible when he comes back,” Self said. “He’s just not quite there yet, but it’s a day-to-day deal. I wish he could have played tonight, but the fact of the matter is that other guys got some run, and they did well.”
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Peterson has now missed two straight games and has appeared in only four of Kansas’ 13 contests this season. His most recent action came in back-to-back games on Dec. 7 against Missouri and Dec. 13 at NC State, scoring 17 points in each outing before exiting the Wolfpack game late with what Self described as quad cramping.
When available, Peterson has been nothing short of electric. He is averaging 19.3 points and 2.8 assists in just 26.3 minutes per game while shooting an efficient 52.8 percent from the field. Despite that production, his limited availability has restricted him to just 22 total minutes played at Allen Fieldhouse this season.
The primary setback earlier in the year was a hamstring strain that sidelined Peterson for seven consecutive games. Self emphasized that his current issue is unrelated and that Peterson has continued practicing with the team.
“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. I can’t determine if he feels good enough or not. That’s up to him, but he wants to be out there.”
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With no definitive timeline for his return, Kansas must prepare to open Big 12 play without one of its most dynamic scorers. The Jayhawks tip off conference action Jan. 3 at UCF and face Iowa State and BYU later this month.
Kansas enters the new year 10-3, highlighted by non-conference wins over North Carolina, Tennessee, and NC State. But as the grind of league play nears, Peterson’s availability and durability remain one of the program’s biggest unanswered questions.
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