Star Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half against Oklahoma State on Wednesday but was limited to just the first three minutes of the second half with a cramping issue that coach Bill Self called concerning.
Peterson removed himself from the No. 8 Jayhawks’ 81-69 win over Oklahoma State shortly after hitting a 3-pointer. He did not return for the final 17:22 of the game.
“It’s a concern,” Self told reporters after the game. “I thought we were past it, but obviously we’re not. It’s certainly a concern.
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“You get into the NCAA tournament, you’re playing a team just as good as you and you need to have all your best players available, so to speak. All it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season. It’s concerning, but I do think we’re making progress with it.”
Peterson, a guard who is expected to be among the first picks in the NBA draft later this year, has had a stop-start season for the Jayhawks, missing several games due to a hamstring issue while also sitting out due to an ankle injury and illness. He has previously missed or exited games early due to cramping issues.
“One thing about it is [cramping] has happened enough that our guys have learned to play without him, even though that’s not the way we want to play,” Self told reporters. “But that’s certainly something we’re not unaccustomed to right now.”
Against the Cowboys, Peterson made 7 of 12 field goals, including 6 of 10 3-pointers. He had shot 13-for-36 from the field combined in his previous three games.
Tre White scored 16 points, Elmarko Jackson added 14, and Bryson Tiller had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists as Kansas (20-6, 10-3 Big 12) bounced back from a blowout loss at Iowa State on Saturday.
Parsa Fallah scored 21 points and Anthony Roy added 16 for Oklahoma State (16-10, 4-9), which lost its fourth straight game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
