What Bill Self Said About Darryn Peterson After Kansas' Win Over Towson

After being listed as day-to-day and practicing for most of the week, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson was ultimately ruled out before the Jayhawks' 73-49 victory over Towson on Tuesday night.

While the Jayhawks had no trouble taking care of business without their star freshman, the absence marked the eighth game Peterson has missed this season.

Following the contest, head coach Bill Self was asked to clarify where Peterson currently stands in his recovery from a lingering quad/hamstring issue. The Hall of Fame coach did little to ease concerns, offering limited clarity on when Peterson might be able to return.

"I don't know. I really don't," Self said when asked when he would return. "He practiced yesterday, but he wasn't moving like he's capable of moving by any stretch, much like the NC State game, much like the Missouri game. Although Missouri, I think, was more health-related than it was legs. But it's not his hamstring, so at least we got that going for us."

"But he's frustrated. When you can practice, you can be out there but your body. When you get a little bit older, your body doesn't exactly react the way your brain tells it to. As you get a little bit older. I'll probably experience that in the next few years. That's what he's going through at age 19. His body's just not reacting. His brain is telling him to go somewhere and do it at this pace, and his body's just not reacting to it."

After making his return two weeks ago in the Border Showdown against Missouri, even more uncertainty has emerged. What was initially described as hamstring tightness has now expanded into a quad issue, along with persistent cramping that has yet to be resolved.

The way Self has discussed the injury and how he acknowledges that the staff still doesn't fully understand what is causing it is understandably concerning, especially given Peterson's age and importance to the team.

"We still believe that it's a day-to-day deal," he concluded. "We still believe that we'll get through this. But until you know he can actually move the way that his brain's programmed his body to move, then we'll probably be very cautious."

There is still time for Peterson to recover, but the questions surrounding his injury continue to grow. If his status does not change, fans should expect him to miss KU's upcoming game against Davidson on Monday.

However, if Peterson remains sidelined once conference play begins on Jan. 3, alarm bells may start ringing in Lawrence.