Will ankle sprain sideline Jayhawks’ Darryn Peterson again? KU’s at KSU Saturday
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Coach Bill Self says Darryn Peterson has a severe ankle sprain; status uncertain.
- Peterson was injured vs. Colorado after stepping on a defender, finished with 16.
- Despite injuries and cramps, Peterson averages 21.6 points and 4.6 rebounds.
Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self is unsure whether star freshman guard Darryn Peterson will be able to play in Saturday’s Big 12 road game at rival K-State.
Peterson sprained his ankle early in the second half of KU’s road win over Colorado on Tuesday — he stepped on a defender’s foot and fell to the ground.
He finished the game with 16 points on 5-for-16 shooting from the field, but Peterson didn’t appear to be at top form for the rest of the game.
“I don’t know yet,” Self said of Peterson’s status for Saturday’s showdown. “He’s getting treatment. You know, he’s got a pretty severe ankle sprain, but fortunately that’s all it is — a sprain. So hopefully he will be able to go and play, but we are not at a point where we can make decision on that yet.”
Peterson has dealt with a number of health issues this season. He’s still managing cramping problems that have prevented him from playing more than 32 minutes in any game.
Along with cramping and the sprained ankle, Peterson’s health concerns stince arriving in Lawrence have included a hamstring strain, a separate quad issue and an illness. Despite that, he’s averaging 21.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game. He also remains the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, according to most experts.
If Peterson is able to participate Saturday at Kansas State, it will be just his 11th game (of 19 that KU has played) this season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., with the TV broadcast on FOX.
Kansas enters the game 14-5 (4-2 Big 12), while K-State is 10-9 (1-5).
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Will ankle sprain sideline Jayhawks’ Darryn Peterson again? KU’s at KSU Saturday."
