Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self has admitted to one crucial mistake on his team’s part regarding freshman Darryn Peterson. Last week, Self and his Wildcats faced coach TJ Otzelberger’s Iowa State Cyclones at the latter’s home arena, the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
In this game, Peterson sat out, as he was listed as having an illness. Meanwhile, his previously missed games were due to physical injuries and conditioning issues. Fans have since claimed that illness was not the real reason why Peterson didn’t play.
In a video posted by “The Hoops HQ Show” on X/Twitter, college basketball analyst Seth Davis asked Self about this. The head coach said he understands the fans’ point of view and pointed out one mistake that shouldn’t have been made.
“He was sick, and he practiced the day before as much as he could. Where we screwed up as a staff was allowing. He didn’t go out for warmups. He went out to see how he felt in the pre-warmup when we just do our stretching or whatnot, and people saw him do that. I wish we would’ve done that in the practice gym as opposed to publicly. But, he didn’t at that time. He went out there with the intention, ‘I’m gonna do it,'” Self said.
“Came back in when, obviously, he didn’t feel well. Head was pounding and all that stuff. And the doctor told me, ‘Bill, no, he’s not gonna be able to go,'” he continued.
Peterson is widely regarded as one of the best rookies of the 2025-26 campaign, and he is expected to be a one-and-done star for Self and the Jayhawks. The reason for that is that Peterson is projected to be at least a top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. For now, Peterson’s focus remains on Kansas, and he would hope for a deep postseason run with the team.
The Kansas Jayhawks Lost To The Iowa State Cyclones By Double Digits
Unfortunately for Darryn Peterson, his Kansas Jayhawks teammates could not hold off the Iowa State Cyclones’ charge, as they lost by 18 points, 74-56.
This is one of the bigger Jayhawks losses in the current campaign, as they fall to an overall record of 19-6 (9-3 Big 12). Kansas would now look to regain its momentum on Wednesday, Feb. 18, against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Also Read: Apparent Identity of Man Behind ‘Leaked’ Darryn Peterson and Bill Self Clash Revealed
Read More: “Those Narratives Are BS”: Kansas HC Bill Self Sounds Off in Defense of Darryn Peterson
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
