Even after a stunning upset over undefeated Arizona, without their most dynamic player, Darryn Peterson, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks, and it has little to do with their on-court performance. For coach Bill Self, a marquee win wasn’t a cause for celebration, but the start of a public defense of his star freshman.

Self directly addressed the rumors about Peterson’s frequent absences during a press conference on Thursday.

“This is a, I’m not a social media guy, but I have gotten on X and read some of the things and narratives that are out there about him, and it’s really not remotely true.”

“The thing about it is, when you’re honest, people don’t believe you, and when you don’t comment on it, people create their own narratives. And you know what? I do the same thing about things I don’t know about: ‘Well, it must be this, you know, geez, it has to be that if they’re not going to talk about it.’ But here’s the bottom line. Was his hamstring legit? Hell, yes. The narrative is BS in many ways. I’m not sure.”

The numbers paint a picture of why questions have emerged.

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Peterson has missed 11 of Kansas’ 24 games this season because of a hamstring injury and other health issues. He has played in 13 games and averaged 20.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. This is elite production that makes the stakes higher when he isn’t playing.

But the fact that he misses games so often and sometimes leaves early has led to doubts about whether there are other factors at play besides health.

Bill Self also talked about Peterson’s recent game against Utah, explaining the difference between being fit and being in a game.

“Darryn was sick against Utah and wasn’t very effective by his standards at all, but he didn’t feel well. I mean, he’s got all the doctors and everybody working with him beginning before the game Saturday, and practice Sunday, it got worse. But adrenaline is going to kick in, and he’s going to be able to play,” Self noted.

Now, with a crucial game against Iowa State looming on Saturday and the team sitting at 19-5, Peterson’s uncertain health has become the biggest variable in the Jayhawks’ postseason aspirations.

But the coach is not just worried about Peterson.

Bill Self checks in with former Jayhawk Johnny Furphy after injury

Bill Self is also concerned about a former player whose career just hit a big snag.

After one season in Kansas, Johnny Furphy left to join the NBA. It seemed like things were finally coming together for him. Then came the terrible blow.

An ACL tear against Toronto that ended his promising second year with the Indiana Pacers before it even started.

As soon as Self heard the news, he got in touch.

“I texted him. I haven’t heard back from him,” Self told reporters before Kansas’s Iowa State game.

Self couldn’t believe how much Furphy had changed since he became a pro.

“You know, it’s amazing,” Self added, “We were thinking he needed another year (of college), and he just goes off and grows two more inches, it looks like, and gains 25 pounds or 20 pounds. He looks like a pro. And if I’m not mistaken, he started 15 or so games for the Pacers.”

Furphy only played one season at Kansas, but he had good stats as a freshman, with 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds. The second round saw Indiana pick him up, and this season, he finally got to play a lot, averaging 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 35 games.