The health of Kansas guard Darin Peterson has been a major talking point in college basketball this season. Peterson revealed that he suffered severe cramps throughout his body.
“I had cramps all over my body, really bad,” Peterson told Shereas Lada of the Kansas City Star. “You could say it was traumatic. I would say it was a traumatic experience.”
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Peterson said he first experienced cramps during KU’s annual training camp, usually held in early September. At one point, the 19-year-old had to go to the hospital to receive intravenous fluids.
“We were in boot camp last week and we were just running, no basketball,” Peterson explained. “I think the week before that was really bothering me, my body just locked onto me.”
Peterson missed 11 games his freshman season and had limited playing time or missed other games due to multiple injuries. He also said at times that he could not simply overcome the trauma he had experienced.
“It was traumatic for me. I fought as hard as I could until… I kind of couldn’t do it,” he said. “My dad taught me that your mind is a joystick. You can’t beat your mind.”
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In the last game, Peterson performed well, averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 38.4% from three-point range.
Although BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is now the favorite to be the No. 1 pick, Peterson performed well against him. In January, Peterson scored 18 points in Kansas’ 90-82 win over BYU despite sitting out most of the second half. He also scored more points than DiBanza in their only high school game and the McDonald’s All-American game.
Peterson has played in seven straight games and is expected to be a top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft if he declares.
Kansas finished the regular season with a 23-10 record and was expected to reach the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is this Sunday.