When Darryn Peterson is on the floor, he looks every bit like a future No. 1 NBA Draft pick. But when he isn’t, the narratives only get louder, and that’s been the strange rhythm of Kansas’ 2025–26 NCAA season. One night, the Jayhawks star freshman is drilling clutch shots. Next, he’s on the bench. So, with 11 missed games out of 24, due to several issues, his absences are starting to draw attention. But head coach Bill Self isn’t letting the narrative spiral.
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During a recent interview, when asked whether there’s “another level” to Peterson’s burst that hasn’t been seen because of the setbacks, Self didn’t hold back from revealing what has been on his mind.
“I don’t know that there’s another level of burst than the play he made in the first half against BYU. 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,” he said.
Self then went through each absence point by point, dismantling the speculations that have been around the young star.
“Was his hamstring legit? Hell yes. Would you risk injuring it more in November? No. Was his cramping legit? Yes. Positively, it was. Did he turn his ankle, bad to the point where he couldn’t practice for nine days and then practice one day and play BYU? Yes,” the coach added. “And then, of all things, he gets sick, and this is what blows my mind. Well, he didn’t play because he’s sick; it’s a big deal, but he didn’t play because he was sick when he didn’t play the other games, added together, becomes a big deal in people’s minds. He got a string of bad luck, but was he sick? Yeah, he’s sick enough; he couldn’t practice.”
Kansas HC Bill Self says the Darryn Peterson narratives are inaccurate. pic.twitter.com/2rbdpA2e9L
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 13, 2026
For Bill Self, the bigger concern is the perception.
“I would think when you’re 19 years old, and you’re dealing with everybody having a narrative about everything that’s going on… that’s what he’s dealing with, and that’s the world he’s getting ready to enter,” he said.
Darryn Peterson’s problem isn’t his production, but his availability. When he is healthy, the 6-foot-5 freshman is averaging 20.5 points per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc.
Look at the Jayhawks’ February 2 win over No. 13 Texas Tech. With that game hanging in the balance, Peterson went on to bury two critical three-pointers in the final 80 seconds to secure a 64–61 victory.
However, the constant interruptions are the real problem. He was sidelined for seven straight games with a hamstring strain, missed the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State due to an ankle sprain, and sat out a marquee matchup against No. 1 Arizona with flu-like symptoms.
But amid all the noise, the good news is that Peterson is heading in the right direction.
Darryn Peterson is “Good to Go” against Iowa State
With only seven games left in the Jayhawks’ schedule, before the regular season is over, Bill Self’s squad is all set to take on the No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones in just a few hours. And after days of speculation, Kansas fans finally received the update they needed.
As per Pete Thamel of ESPN, coach Self confirmed that Darryn Peterson is “good to go” for Saturday’s road matchup against the Cyclones and is expected to be in the starting lineup.
Though the Jayhawks have already defeated Iowa State on January 13th, with the final score being 84-63, having Peterson back in rhythm changes the ceiling of this team entirely.
For a player whose season has been defined by momentum that swings between brilliance and absence, Saturday presents another opportunity for the fans to catch him in action.
While nobody questioned his talent, if Darryn Peterson takes the floor against Iowa State at full speed, the conversation may finally shift back to how the Jayhawks look when they are complete.