Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson struggled with his fitness last season. The consensus five-star recruit sat out 11 of the first 27 games and often missed game time in the second half. He was struggling with hamstring, ankle injuries, and cramping.
Overall, he played just 24 games, averaging over 20 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Peterson’s performances were underwhelming, especially because fans expected more from him in terms of the time he spent on the floor.
There were a lot of speculations about his absence during games. His head coach, Bill Self, kept saying that the star guard was dealing with cramping issues. During a recent media interaction at the NBA Draft Combine, Peterson acknowledged not being 100% at Kansas.
When asked what difference being back out there had on him, he said, “Figuring out what it was and my mental as well. Something is wrong, and you don’t know what it is.”
During an interview with ESPN, Peterson revealed that high creatine usage contributed to his cramping issues, and that’s why he wasn’t at his best with the Jayhawks. The season with Kansas might’ve had several setbacks, but Peterson now feels confident again, and he’s happy being on the floor.
“Kansas’ Darryn Peterson measured 6’4.5 barefoot and 199 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, with a 6’9.75 wingspan and 8’7 standing reach. In line with his past measurements, but still elite physical tools for an NBA guard prospect,” Jonathan Givony posted.
He shot 19 of 25, 76% at the combine, and was tied for second position alongside four other players. These numbers are encouraging, and Peterson has reignited talks of going No. 1 overall at the 2026 NBA Draft.
Gary Parrish on Darryn Peterson’s Creatine Usage
Peterson had never taken creatine before. It helps increase muscle strength, power, and growth, so it seemed like the right thing to do for the 19-year-old. However, tests revealed that high doses of creatine led to persistent cramping.
On an episode of the Chris Vernon Show, analyst Gary Parrish said that he only believes part of the story because cramping alone doesn’t explain why he missed games.
“I believe all that’s true,” he said. “None of this is ever going to explain why you sat on a bench in the second half of games, looking like you have no interest in trying to get back to the game. We’ve all seen what cramping looks like in basketball.”
As per Parrish, there are ways to deal with cramping that don’t require the athlete to sit out games. The coaching and medical staff are well-equipped to deal with that problem, but somehow it didn’t work on Peterson.
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