Is Darryn Peterson playing vs. Duke? Latest news, updates on Kansas star freshman’s status for Champions Classic originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s the year of the freshmen in college basketball, and none might be better than Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
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Considered a prime contender to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Peterson opened his season with back-to-back efficient games with more than 20 points, leading the Jayhawks in scoring in a loss to North Carolina.
When Kansas meets another blue blood at the Champions Classic, however, Peterson could be on the sidelines.
Here are the latest updates on Peterson’s status for Tuesday’s game against Duke.
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Is Darryn Peterson playing?
Peterson’s status for the Champions Classic is unclear. The freshman missed games against Texas A&M-CC and Princeton in the week leading up to the battle with Duke.
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On Saturday, Kansas coach Bill Self offered a less than optimistic take on Peterson’s status going forward, telling reporters, “We’re obviously not going to have him, you know, at least for the immediate future.”
While Kansas was able to coast to wins in its two games without Peterson, the Jayhawks face a stretch of five consecutive games against power-conference opponents after Duke and could opt to rest their star to avoid further injury.
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Darryn Peterson injury update
Peterson was initially believed to be dealing with cramps early on before Kansas discovered he was battling a hamstring injury, Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported.
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“They thought it was cramps early on in the year, and it actually has been a hamstring issue that they figured out about a week or so ago, and it hasn’t gotten all the way better,” Goodman said, adding that Peterson “wants to play” and “feels like he can play” against Duke but Self may play it safe and take a long-term approach.
Kansas has experimented its starting five without Peterson, starting freshman Bryson Tiller against Texas A&M-CC before moving Elmarko Jackson into the lineup against Princeton.
Darryn Peterson NBA Draft
College basketball has a loaded freshman class this season, but Peterson has been projected as the No. 1 overall pick in many mock drafts, including a recent mock from Bleacher Report draft insider Jonathan Wasserman.
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BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer could challenge Peterson for the top pick, with Dybantsa likely the strongest contender outside of Peterson.
Kansas schedule
|
Date |
Matchup |
Time (ET) |
|
Nov. 24 |
vs. Notre Dame (neutral site) |
3:30 p.m. |
|
Nov. 25 |
vs. Syracuse (neutral site) |
3:30 p.m. |
|
Dec. 2 |
vs. UConn |
9 p.m. |
|
Dec. 7 |
vs. Missouri |
1 p.m. |
|
Dec. 13 |
at NC State |
5:30 p.m. |
Kansas could be challenged after the Champions Classic, as the Jayhawks head to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival for matchups against Notre Dame and Syracuse before hosting UConn and Missouri.
Kansas’ battle with Will Wade’s revamped NC State team on the road on Dec. 13 could be one of the most critical non-conference games on the Jayhawks’ schedule, particularly with a loss to North Carolina already on their record.
