Kansas Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson could very well be the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, Peterson has dealt with several injuries and has played in just 10 games as of Jan. 22. Peterson just scored 16 points with 6 rebounds in Kansas’ 75-69 win over the Colorado Buffaloes on Tuesday, but head coach Bill Self revealed that Peterson is now dealing with another injury.
“He’s getting treatment,” Self said. “He’s got a pretty severe ankle sprain. Fortunately, that’s all it is, a sprain. Hopefully he’ll be able to go and play, but we’re not at a point to make a decision on that yet.”
Here were #kubball coach Bill Self's initial thoughts on Darryn Peterson and his own health pic.twitter.com/VqadYtC9QN
— Jordan Guskey (@JordanGuskey) January 22, 2026
Peterson played the first two games this season before missing a month with an injury, but he returned and showcased his talents ever since coming back.
On Jan. 16 against the Baylor Bears, Peterson scored a game-high 26 points, which also happened to be the day of his 19th birthday.
But, for now, Peterson is dealing with yet another injury in what has been a frustrating season for Kansas and the potential No. 1 pick.
Peterson is averaging 21.6 points with 4.6 rebounds on 49.3% from the field, and Jeremy Woo of ESPN still has Peterson projected to go No. 1 overall despite the limited action this season.
Kansas faces off against Kansas State on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan. However, everyone is waiting for the Kansas-BYU showdown with Peterson and future NBA star AJ Dybansta potentially facing off on Jan. 31.
