Kansas Jayhawks Without Peterson for Vegas Tournament

Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball coach Bill Self confirmed Friday that the team will enter the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas without standout freshman guard Darryn Peterson, who continues to recover from a hamstring injury. The No. 24-ranked Jayhawks, already facing depth issues at the guard position, also sustained another setback during Monday's 71-61 victory over Notre Dame when senior guard Jayden Dawson injured his right wrist.

Peterson, a 6-foot-6 Canton, Ohio, native and the nation's top high school recruit, has missed four consecutive games since a Nov. 7 loss to North Carolina. In his two appearances this season, he averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists, showcasing the skills that position him as a projected top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Self described Peterson's progress as encouraging but insufficient for the tournament's demands.

"He's right there, close," Self said. "But he hasn't quite done enough to put him in position to go out and play multiple games in a short span like that. So we're hopeful he's running and cutting and doing all those things while we're in Vegas, but not to the point where he's probably ready to play."