Is Darryn Peterson Playing vs NC State? Latest on Kansas Star

Here is the current injury status of Kansas star Darryn Peterson heading into Saturday's road tilt at NC State.
Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) warms up prior to a game against the Missouri Tigers at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) warms up prior to a game against the Missouri Tigers at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The biggest storyline of the Kansas basketball season so far has been Darryn Peterson's recurring hamstring injury.

The freshman phenom missed seven games in a row due to a lingering ailment that sidelined him for multiple weeks. Peterson finally made his long-awaited return against Missouri last weekend and dropped 17 points in the Border Showdown.

Tonight, KU is heading to the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, to take on the NC State Wolfpack. The Jayhawks direly need Peterson's scoring and shot creation in this game, so it is imperative that he makes his way onto the court and does not suffer any setbacks.

Latest on Darryn Peterson's Injury Status

Before the game, head coach Bill Self spoke with the school's Associate Athletics Director, Greg Gurley, in a short interview. When asked for an update on Peterson's injury, Self said that he expected the star guard to suit up.

"There's no update [on his injury]," Self confirmed to Gurley. "He's out there, he's doing everything full speed. He's got to get his rhythm back, but anybody that's been out for a month has to do that. There's no update — he's full go."

Self's quote suggests that Peterson should be good to go and that he has been feeling fine in the week leading up to the game.

In his return against Missouri, Peterson only appeared in 23 minutes, leading some to believe he was on a minutes restriction. However, Self also noted before the game that Peterson had come down with a bug that made him feel sick, which likely limited his minutes.

Thankfully for Kansas, it did not need him down the stretch, as the team pulled away early in the second half and easily won. That said, Peterson was seen on the sideline receiving work from the training staff, making it something to continue monitoring.

The Jayhawks will likely need Peterson at full strength tonight in order to come away with a victory. NC State has played to a 7-3 record so far and put together one of the best offseasons in college basketball under first-year head coach Will Wade.

KU will be playing its second true road game of the season in front of a packed crowd, and the Wolfpack are one of the most talented teams in the ACC.

Regardless, if Peterson is close to full strength, KU has a very good shot at coming out victorious tonight.


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Joshua Schulman
JOSHUA SCHULMAN

A longtime Kansas basketball and football fan, Josh is at The College of New Jersey majoring in Communications and minoring in Journalism. Josh has over 1,000 published articles on KU athletics on FanSided's Through the Phog, with additional work at Pro Football Network and Last Word on Sports. In his free time, Josh often broadcasts TCNJ football games on WTSR 91.3FM.

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