Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson has missed 11 games this season for a variety of reasons. Hamstring injury, cramps and even sickness have held the immense talent off the court, and these absences have caused fans and speculators to go on about the situation on social media.
Kansas head coach Bill Self is not having any of the conspiracy theories or narratives surrounding Peterson and his missed time.
“I’ve gotten on X and read some of the narratives out there about him, and it’s not remotely true," Self said.
Self stood up for his talented guard, saying that it's just a string of bad injury luck rather than some of the narratives you may see on social media.
"Was his hamstring legit? Yes," Self said. "Would you risk injuring it more in November? No. Was his cramping legit? Yes. Did he turn his ankle bad enough to miss nine days of practice? Yes. Then he got sick."
Peterson recently missed Kansas' Big Monday match-up vs. No. 1 Arizona due to "flu-like symptoms," and it was announced he wouldn't play just before the game. Self hopes he will be at full speed when the Jayhawks travel to Ames on Saturday to play No. 5 Iowa State.
"He was sick enough he couldn’t practice," Self said. "He came to shootaround to see if he could go, got lightheaded, and the doctor said he couldn’t play. The narrative about load management is BS. He’s had a string of bad luck. He’s better now, not full speed yet, but hopefully he will be by Saturday."
Self wasn't having any of the narratives and says it's a lot for a 19-year-old freshman to be dealing with.
"It’s a lot for a 19-year-old dealing with narratives about everything," Self said.
For now, Kansas is simply focused on getting its star freshman healthy and back in rhythm at the most important time of the season. When Peterson has been on the floor, his impact has been undeniable, and the Jayhawks are a different team with his scoring and playmaking ability.
As the postseason approaches, Kansas will need him at full strength. Until then, Self made it clear he’s standing firmly behind his player, tuning out the noise and trusting that better days and better injury luck are ahead for his talented 19-year-old guard.
Kansas will now have time to rest before heading to Ames to face No. 5 Iowa State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for noon CST and will be broadcast on ABC/ESPN.