Kansas keeps proving it's a national title contender with or without Darryn Peterson

Guard Darryn Peterson's availability concerns continue to be a headache for the Kansas Jayhawks, but they still look capable of making an NCAA Tournament run without him. 

Peterson played 18 minutes in a road game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Wednesday night, scoring 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting. However, he missed the final 17 minutes of the game due to cramping, an ongoing issue for the guard. 

The freshman phenom has now played 15 games this season. Peterson has played 30 minutes or more in just six of those contests. The guard has also missed 11 games because of hamstring and ankle issues and illness. The Jayhawks, though, have adjusted to the situation. 

Kansas HC Bill Self discusses Darryn Peterson situation

"I thought he was good to go," Self said Wednesday night, via The Athletic's Matthew Ho and Mark Cooper. "But we only got 18 minutes out of him. That's disappointing because he could have a really big night. But one thing is, it's happened often enough that our guys have learned to play without him, even though that's not the way we normally play, that's certainly something we're not unaccustomed to right now." 

That was apparent against Oklahoma State. Even with Peterson missing most of the second half, the Jayhawks beat the Cowboys 81-69. 

The Big 12 powerhouse has now won nine of its last 10 games. That stretch included an 82-78 upset of the then-No. 1 Arizona Wildcats (24-2, 11-2 Big 12), where Peterson was a late scratch.

Now, that doesn't mean the Jayhawks (20-6, 10-3 Big 12) are a better team without Peterson, who's averaging 20 points per game on 48.5 percent shooting from the field. Self would love to have the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft remain available throughout the NCAA Tournament, where Kansas will face much better teams than Oklahoma State (16-10, 4-9 Big 12).

"I thought we were past it, but obviously we're not," Self said. "It's certainly a concern. 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. Yeah, all it takes is for one day like that to derail not only a game, but a season. Yeah, it's concerning, but I do think we're making progress with it." 

The Jayhawks would love Peterson to play the whole tournament. However, with the way the season has unfolded, it seems Kansas may be without him at some point in March Madness. At least Self's squad looks prepared for that scenario.