Darryn Peterson might know as well as anyone that sports can give, but they also can take. In the case of the freshman guard for the Kansas Jayhawks, it took. Peterson suffered from cramps amid other health issues during the 2025-26 season, hurting his first season with the team.
According to a statement via a Saturday report from The Kansas City Star, Peterson suffered “trauma” from his experience with injuries this season.
“The previous week we had boot camp where we were just running, no basketball,” Peterson said. “The previous week caught up to me, and my body just locked up on me, I guess.”
According to Peterson, the memories of the ordeal have followed him.
“I had like a full-body (cramp), super serious,” he said. “You could say it was traumatic. I would say it was a traumatic experience.”
He’s tried to keep his mind off what happened, but he hasn’t been able to shake it.
“As much as I want to say I wasn’t (thinking about that experience),” he said, “it was traumatic for me.”
Of course, as the team heads into the lighter part of the calendar year in terms of total on-court time, Peterson will have time to get healthy and put the ordeal further in the rear-view mirror.
Darryn Peterson’s Freshman Season In Perspective
With the bulk of Peterson’s season now complete, the freshman can look back on more than just the cramps. The freshman led the Jayhawks in points per game at 19.8, earning six points more on average than the next closest player, guard Tre White.
He managed to do so without leading the team in minutes played as well. Peterson’s 28.4 minutes per game was fourth, more than six minutes per game fewer on average compared to the busiest player, guard Melvin Council Jr.
Peterson was also productive on the defensive, leading the team in steals at 1.5 per game, nearly 50% more than the next closest player.
While health will be one of the defining aspects of his freshman season, Peterson has left himself with plenty of momentum heading into his second year with the team. The question is whether his injuries will also pick up momentum. He, of course, hopes not after getting on the court at the end of the season without seemingly any issue.
Read More News:
Bill Self Defends Darryn Peterson’s Media Absence Amid Injury Struggles
Kansas vs. TCU Men’s Basketball: Prediction, Starting Lineups & Injury Report Ft. Darryn Peterson
Purdue vs. UCLA Basketball Injury Report: Latest on Tyler Bilodeau and Evan Manjikian
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
