Kansas Has to Figure Out How to Dominate With Darryn Peterson

Darryn Peterson returned for play today for the first time since December 13 after dealing with cramps and a lingering hamstring injury.

In the ugly loss to UCF this afternoon, the star freshman put up 26 points, six rebounds, and two blocks in just 23 minutes of play, but yet again ...

Whether he was hurting or if there were minute restrictions, Jayhawk fans watched Peterson sit for the majority of the second half, including the final eight minutes of the game.

Fans could see Peterson at the end of the bench with a trainer and a Theragun to work on his quad. At this point in the season, and with Peterson’s health still questionable, how does Kansas handle him so that he's 100% and ready to rock when it really matters in March?

Peterson was arguably the most hyped up freshman entering this season, and one of the best in recent memory.

The Ohio native can do it all, but fans would quickly see early in the season that the five-star prospect was dealing with cramps, which then led to a hamstring injury that sidelined him for several games.

Darryn Peterson's first half against UCF 🔥🔥

23 PTS (career-high)
7/15 FG
4/8 3PT
5 REB
2 BLKpic.twitter.com/NMiM7iReor
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) January 3, 2026

Peterson was supposed to take the Jayhawks back to the top, and it is devastating to see him go through these injuries. However, during his absence, Kansas has started to figure out how to win without him.

Now it has to figure out how to do more with him, make sure he's out there as much as possible, and get everything flowing, because if that happens, look out.

The Jayhawks have been tested in multiple games this year without Peterson. These games include Duke, Syracuse, Tennessee, UConn, and NC State. The Jayhawks have a 3-2 record with impressive wins over Syracuse, Tennessee, and NC State while falling short to two of the best teams in the country in Duke and UConn.

Throughout these games, it was clear chemistry was starting to form, and players such as Melvin Council Jr., Tre White, Elmarko Jackson, Flory Bidunga, and Jamari McDowell started to blossom into their roles.

Since then, Peterson has returned in three games: Missouri, NC State, and UCF. In all three games, he was still limited to minutes and missed crucial moments down the stretch against the Wolfpack and the Knights.

Against the Tigers and the Wolfpack, you could see Peterson put on a display while still not looking 100%, but today against UCF, it seemed different at first.

Peterson looked like he had never had an injury in the first place, playing 18 minutes, putting up a career high, and finding himself all over the floor. Then in the second half, it was completely different.

The sharpshooter barely played at all, put up a three to add 26 to the stat sheet, and then never saw the floor again. Council Jr. and company had to try to figure out how to come back and beat UCF. Unfortunately, it did not happen.

Peterson is too good, and the team is too promising to be too worried quite yet. If this all comes together, he's the type of player who can carry the Jayhawks to the Final Four ... if he's healthy, and if the team's flow is better.

The chemistry appears to be off when he is in. Too often, the Jayhawks seem off when he's in, and the players who have stepped up all year long tend to disappear for stretches.

But that's what this time of year is for.

It's only early January. There's time. Make sure he's healthy, get him in there for a full 40 - if possible - and figure this out.