Darryn Peterson has not had a perfect freshman season at Kansas. He has dealt with a hamstring injury, cramping issues, an ankle injury, and now an illness. The young star has dealt with a lot of criticism over the last few days as well due to missing so many games, the latest against No. 1 Arizona.
Some believe that Peterson has not been fully open about his injuries, or was choosing not to play games, even though he was healthy. Of course, these are just rumors, and no one knows the real truth, other than Peterson.
In his midweek press conference, head coach Bill Self finally reached his limit on people talking about one of his players. Self addressed the rumors of Peterson choosing not to play on Monday against Arizona and all the other rumors surrounding his injuries.
"I've read some of the narratives out there... it's not remotely true," Self said. "Was his hamstring legit? Hell yes. Was his cramping legit? Yes. Did he turn his ankle bad? Yes... He's had a string of bad luck. Those narratives are BS."
Bill Self on Darryn Peterson:
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 12, 2026
"I've read some of the narratives out there... it's not remotely true. Was his hamstring legit? Hell yes. Was his cramping legit? Yes. Did he turn his ankle bad? Yes... He's had a string of bad luck. Those narratives are BS."
(🎥: @JayhawkSlant) pic.twitter.com/DxHwLArwNI
It is clear that Self is over all the false narratives being talked about with Peterson. The biggest rumor is that Peterson was planning to play against Arizona, but Self didn't want him playing if he wasn't going to go 100%. After that, it has been speculated that Peterson chose not to play, but of course, this is all speculation.
Out of 24 games Kasas has played this season, Peterson has missed 11 games. He missed a good portion of games in November due to the hamstring injury and missed a few games with the ankle injury in January. The cramping issue has caused Peterson to miss entire second halves after playing a solid first half.
The illness is new, but at this point, it doesn't seem like it is going to affect him against No. 5 Iowa State. Kansas will take its eight-game win streak on the road to Ames, Iowa, where they will face the Cyclones, a team the Jayhawks have already taken down this season.
There is hope that Peterson will be a go, as there has been no news otherwise. If he is, you can probably bet he will be playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, and Kansas could use a big game from its star.