Darryn Peterson timeline of controversy: Inside Kansas basketball star's injuries, cramping and other issues

As expected, the Kansas Jayhawks are having another good season in 2025-26.

But one player expected to play a key role in the Jayhawks' success this season is true freshman guard Darryn Peterson. Projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft in June, Peterson has played in just eight of Kansas' first 28 games to start the season. 

The Jayhawks' star guard has dealt with numerous injuries, as well as cramping issues. Let's take a look at his missed games this season, what the Kansas freshman has said about it and more.  

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Darryn Peterson timeline of controversy

Darryn Peterson's season at Kansas got off to a hot start in early November. In his first two games against Green Bay and UNC, he combined for 43 points with seven rebounds. But just a few days after the game against the Tar Heels, Peterson went down with an injury.

Nov. 11-Dec. 7: Hamstring sprain

Shortly after his 20-point games, Peterson was sent to the bench with a strained hamstring. Although coach Bill Self told reporters Kansas didn't think the injury was "a long-term deal," he missed seven games with the injury, including vs. ranked opponents in Duke, Tennessee and UConn, as the Jayhawks defeated only the Vols from that group. 

Dec. 16-Jan. 3: Cramping

Peterson appeared to make a solid return in his first two games back, scoring a combined 34 points with eight rebounds and five assists in wins over Missouri and NC State in overtime. But just a few games after the NC State game, he sat out Kansas' next two games vs. Towson and Davidson due to cramping in his quadriceps. 

Once again, he appeared to return strong, playing in Kansas' next six games through mid-January. He averaged 24.6 points per game in those five games.

Jan. 3 and 6: Peterson leaves games vs. TCU, UCF

Peterson played 26 minutes on the road against UCF on Jan. 3, but he missed most of the second half. The Jayhawks fell on the road 81-75.  

Against TCU on Jan. 6, Peterson appeared to signal to Self that he needed to come out of the game late. He did, and the Jayhawks needed OT to beat the Horned Frogs, 104-100:

This Darryn Peterson situation feels specifically designed to make people (especially emotional college sports fans) lose their minds. He asks out of the game mid-play with 2:30 left leading to a Kansas turnover, and immediately exits. I can't remember anything like this before. pic.twitter.com/bGYVVQNNXk

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) January 7, 2026

He remained out of the game, subbing out at the start of the overtime period. 

Jan. 20 vs. Colorado State: Ankle injury

On Jan. 20, Peterson seemed to play through a rolled ankle injury he suffered on the road against Colorado. He finished out the game, however, scoring 16 points with six boards in Kansas' 75-69 victory. 

But Peterson then missed Kansas' road game against Kansas State, which the Jayhawks won 86-62.  

Jan. 31 vs. BYU: Cramping, agent leaves game 

Peterson returned for a big home matchup against No. 13 BYU at home. The freshman had 18 points with three rebounds, but played in just 20 minutes. He left with about 16 minutes to go, as Kansas won 90-82.  

Some eagle-eyed fans noticed that Peterson's agent, Darren Masturbara, did not return to his seat at the game: 

— Mike Vernon (@M_Vernon) January 31, 2026

Matsubara spoke to Assoc. AD in the tunnel after the start of the 2nd half. ADD went over and spoke to trainer. DP looked over, raised his hand, and then took a seat. For the remainder of the game. Weird AF.

— Never Again Is Now (@Mikeblumey) February 1, 2026

Despite leaving the game, Peterson played in the Jayhawks' next two games against Texas Tech and Utah, combining for 33 points with five boards in Kansas' wins over both squads. 

Feb. 9 vs. Arizona: Flu-like symptoms

One of Kansas' biggest wins of the season so far came on Feb. 9, as the Jayhawks upset then-No. 1 Arizona at home. Kansas won 82-78, but Peterson missed the game entirely. Before the game, Kansas told reporters that Peterson was dealing with an illness. 

"Darryn [Peterson] won't play tonight," a Kansas spokesperson told ESPN before the game. "He has flu-like symptoms. He went out with the team for warmups but can't go."

Feb. 18 at Oklahoma State: Cramping 

Peterson's cramping issues have become a persistent problem. During Kansas' 81-69 road win over Oklahoma State, Peterson played just 18 minutes, scoring 23 points, which led the team. 20 of his points came in the first half.  

During the game, it appeared as though Peterson signaled to Self that he wanted to be taken out: 

— The Jump Sports (@TheJumpSports) February 19, 2026

Feb. 24: Peterson's father addresses son's issues 

Following his game against Oklahoma State, Peterson played in Kansas' next two contests against Cincinnati and Houston, combining for 31 points. 

Peterson's father addressed his son's season in an interview with CBS Sports on Feb. 24. 

"You can't pray for rain then complain about the mud," Peterson's father, Darryl, told the outlet. "We embrace what comes with this journey. The good and bad. I'm so grateful for this year, this season and for what's to come. It has taught so many life lessons to prepare Darryn and our family for what he's about to go through being the No. 1 pick and future face of someone's franchise [and] the league."

His dad also posted a message seemingly about his son's season before he did the interview: 

— Mark Gunnels (@MarkAGunnels) February 23, 2026

Peterson himself addressed his season and the ups and downs, speaking to ESPN's Myron Medcalf

"Everybody's got an opinion on it," Peterson said. "But basketball is my life. If I could have been out there every game this year, I would have. If you would have asked me last year, what were my goals for this year, I would never mention missing games. So all this stuff kind of just happened, but I've got to deal with it."

Even NBA scouts are starting to ask questions about Peterson's health. 

“The way the league is wired, people are getting more worried,” an NBA executive told TSN's Mike DeCourcey. “If I spoke with him, I’d have two questions: One, what is going on medically? And two, Saturday afternoon, big game, best player and you take yourself out — what’s going through your head as you’re watching your teammates?”

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, addressing the controversy on Feb. 19, even stated his No. 1 overall pick status should be in jeopardy: 

"There is no team in hell that should grab Darryn Peterson No. 1. You cannot do it. The first ability is availability…And these games that he’s missing, cramps? Flu…I can’t trust him. You cannot be trusted." – Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/a9GUKGHYtL

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 19, 2026

DECOURCY: Why expanding March Madness is a bad idea

How many games has Darryn Peterson missed?

Peterson has missed 11 games for the Jayhawks this season as of Feb. 26, dating back to early November. The Jayhawks have done a good job of rallying behind other stars like Flory Bidunga, who has had 11 double-doubles during games without Peterson hasn't played (six) or played less than 25 minutes (three), per ESPN. Kansas also won three exhibition games before the regular season started without Peterson. 

DECOURCY: How Darryn Peterson's sporadic availability is unprecedented

Why did Darryn Peterson miss games?

Peterson has missed games due to a variety of different issues, including cramping, an ankle sprain and a flu-like illness. His cramping issues have affected him during multiple contests. 

What has Bill Self said about Peterson's availability?

Self, unsurprisingly, has been asked about Peterson's absences. 

"I thought we were past it, but obviously we're not," Self told reporters after Peterson left the Oklahoma State game. "It's certainly a concern. You get into the NCAA tournament, you're playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak. All it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season."

After Kansas' big win over Arizona earlier this month, Self told reporters about conversations he's had with Peterson this season. 

"He's great, but I have told [Peterson], in all honesty, 'Have I really had a chance to coach you yet?'" Self said. "Have I had a chance to say, 'Hey, this is totally unacceptable. This is how we're doing it.' Have I had a chance to really make points to him?" 

After Peterson missed the Arizona game, Self had some long-winded responses when asked about his freshman star: 

“He was sick enough he couldn’t practice (on Sunday), but he said he was still gonna give it a run,” Self said via The Kansas City Star. “He came to shootaround and he gave it a run. And he went out before (the game) and gets lightheaded, and I walk in, the doctor says, ‘Bill, he’s not gonna be able to go.’ “But the negative (thing) was that people saw him out there. What could have happened between being out there and not playing. Bottom line is he was just trying to see if he could go. If he wanted to run from it or hide from him, he wouldn’t have gone out there.”

He went on to describe his missed time as "a string of bad luck:"

“Was his hamstring legit? Hell yes,” Self continued. “Would you risk injuring it more in November? No. Was his cramping legit? Yes, positively, it was. Did he turn his ankle bad (at Colorado) to the point where he couldn’t practice for nine days, and then practice one day and play BYU? Yes. And that was adrenaline kicking in, in the BYU game. And then, of all things, he gets sick.”

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Who is Darryn Peterson's agent?

Peterson's agent is Darren Mastubara, who started representing him in January.  

Mastubara has received some criticism in his handling of Peterson's situation. Even CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein suggested his agent is partially to blame: 

That his inconsistent availability is the direct result of his agent, Darren Matsubara, and his father, Darryl Peterson, pulling all of the strings here and being overly cautious. While these whispers are not new, they've intensified since Saturday's game when Kansas Deputy AD Sean Lester came over to speak with Peterson in the middle of a stoppage in play. There are even reports, currently unconfirmed by CBS Sports, that he had previously spoken with Matsubara in the tunnel immediately prior to going over to Peterson.

— Matt Foster (@MattFosterTV) February 2, 2026

Mastubara works for the Wasserman Agency, and he represents a number of NBA stars such as Jalen Suggs, Brook Lopez and Steven Adams.