Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson once again showed what he can do on the court Wednesday night in Stillwater. This time around it was 23 points and six 3-pointers in just 18 minutes. Peterson was on fire in the first half, but with 17:22 to go in the second half, a recurring issue reared its ugly head.
Peterson checked out of the game due to cramping and did not return. These cramps have kept the guard from finishing multiple games this season, on top of his hamstring injury and sickness that held him out for 11 games. Kansas head coach Bill Self was asked about Peterson exiting the game postgame.
“We’ve had it more than a couple times," Self said. "I didn’t anticipate that tonight at all. I thought he was good to go. But obviously, we only got 18 minutes out of him. That’s disappointing because he could have had a really big night. One thing about it, though, it’s happened often enough that our guys have learned to play without him, even though that’s not the way we want to play, but it’s something we’re not unaccustomed to right now.”
Despite not finishing the game, he scored 13 points in just five minutes to help build the Jayhawks' lead large enough to cruise to an 81-69 win over Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.
"Of course, Darryn was terrific early," Self said. "I thought everybody played well early."
In the second half, Peterson hit his sixth 3-pointer of the game and appeared to look at coach Self and ask for a sub. He did not return to the game and only recorded 18 minutes on the court.
“He was going to come out before he made the three," Self said. "Then he makes the three and says, ‘Get me.’ I didn’t know that he’d be done, but obviously he was.”
Self also called the cramping issues a "concern" postgame. He noted that he thought Peterson's issue was past the Jayhawks, but it came up once again. With March and the postseason nearing, the question of Peterson's health looms larger.
“It’s a concern. I thought we were past it, but obviously we’re not. You get into the NCAA Tournament and you’re playing a team just as good as you, you need to have all your best players available. All it takes is 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.”