Analyst Offers Concerning Take On Darryn Peterson’s Injury for Kansas

Kansas guard Darryn Peterson is projected to go either first or second overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. However, the Jayhawks' star freshman has not had an ideal start to his collegiate career.

Peterson missed seven consecutive games earlier this season due to a lingering hamstring injury, and that same ailment continues to affect him following his return. In Kansas' 77-76 overtime win over NC State on Saturday night, Peterson checked out of the game with roughly two minutes remaining.

He signaled to the bench that he needed to come out and immediately went over to the training staff to have the injury examined. After the game, head coach Bill Self told reporters that Peterson said he was feeling tight and could not continue playing.

During TNT's postgame coverage, analyst Jamal Mashburn offered his perspective on how Peterson should handle the situation moving forward. He suggested that the Jayhawks phenom should consider sitting out most (or the remainder) of the season to fully prepare for the NBA Draft and avoid further aggravating the injury.

"I would consider shutting it down," Mashburn bluntly said. "Because you already sat out a bunch of games, and you come back — we don't know what the status is, cramps or whatever it is, but I would really consider shutting it down. This kid's going to play a long time in the NBA. He has to protect himself. I understand you want to be out there with your teammates, but he wasn't moving well."

"I would really seriously consider shutting it down..."@jamalmashburn and @JalenRose weighed in on Darryn Peterson's lingering hamstring injury 👀 pic.twitter.com/DbgvkzrO5X
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) December 14, 2025

Obviously, that would be a disastrous outcome for Kansas, which constructed its roster this offseason with complementary pieces designed to fit around Peterson.

The 18-year-old was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year and earned first-team All-America recognition from several outlets. He has legitimate potential to be selected first overall next draft and has been widely praised as one of the best guard prospects in recent memory.

Unfortunately, his tenure at KU has not gotten off to an ideal start, as he has struggled to stay on the floor. The hamstring injury dates back to Kansas' scrimmage against Louisville in October, making it an increasingly concerning issue for the Jayhawks.

Self noted that Peterson has felt this tightness in all four games he has played this season, suggesting that it is not going away anytime soon. As Mashburn noted, hamstring injuries are tricky and linger for quite some time.

There was at least one positive takeaway from Saturday night, as Peterson played a season-high 31 minutes against NCSU. Still, it was clear that the injury hindered him at times, as he was not running or cutting with the same explosiveness he had shown before.

While Mashburn's logic is understandable, it is also flawed. NBA scouts are undoubtedly monitoring Peterson's health closely, and sitting out the rest of the season could potentially hurt his draft stock. Even a drop from the No. 1 pick to No. 3 or 4 overall would cost him millions of dollars in guaranteed money.

Self has repeatedly emphasized that Peterson wants to play as badly as anyone and is doing everything possible to recover. Fortunately for Kansas, the schedule softens a bit in the coming weeks, with just two games in a 20-day stretch.

Now, the program may elect to sit Peterson for one or both of those contests as the Jayhawks prepare for the start of Big 12 play next month.