Is Darryn Peterson Playing In March Madness? Latest On Kansas Star's Status

Any player that enters a season as the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA draft is going to generate interest. Darryn Peterson, though, has taken that trope to another level this season.

Various ailments forced Kansas' freshman guard to miss 11 games this season. In multiple games where he did play, he had a minutes restriction and/or sat for the key final minutes of games. Some fans and analysts expressed their frustration at Peterson's inconsistent schedule, and he fell from favorite status as the No. 1 pick.

However, Peterson has been trending upward recently, playing a season-high 37 minutes in the Big 12 Tournament against TCU.

Is Darryn Peterson playing in March Madness?

Yes, Peterson will be on the court for Kansas during the NCAA Tournament, and there is no reason to believe he will be limited. According to The Kansas City Star’s Shreyas Laddha, he has played the last seven games without asking to come out due to cramping, which happened a fair amount during the season up to that point.

Darryn Peterson cramping issues explained

Laddha explained how cramping has been the biggest recurring issue for Peterson during the season, going back to Kansas' training period in early September.

Peterson said he suffered from full-body cramps that forced him to the hospital at one point, and that he received two bags of intravenous fluids.

He described the experience as "traumatic," which made it understandable that he was quick to ask out of games when he felt the cramps coming back.

Now, though, it seems Peterson is in his best condition of the season — just in time for Kansas' most important games.

Kansas Jayhawks March Madness schedule 2026

The Jayhawks will play their first-round game against 13-seed Cal Baptist at 9:45 PM ET on Friday, March 20. If Kansas wins that game, it would face the winner of the No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa game on Sunday.

Darryn Peterson season stats 2025-26 (points, rebounds, assists, etc.)

Peterson has been one of the most prolific scoring guards in the country when he has played, averaging 19.8 points on 44.2% field goals, 38.4% from three and 82.5% from the free throw line. He has also averaged 1.7 assists to 1.5 turnovers and 1.5 steals per game.

Is Darryn Peterson a projected lottery pick for the 2026 NBA Draft?

Peterson will absolutely be a lottery pick and is still clearly lined up to be a top-three pick at worst. A great tournament run could easily vault him back into pole position to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.