Kansas predictably fell short against Duke, but good news: Bill Self says Darryn Peterson could be back next week

NEW YORK – No major team needs a player more than Kansas Darryn Peterson.

The Jayhawks’ top freshman missed his third straight game due to a hamstring problem. Coach Bill Self said after Tuesday night’s 78-66 loss to No. 5 Duke that things are improving, adding that he doesn’t “think it will be long” before Peterson can play again.

In the interest of Kansas, that is better not. The Jayhawks played admirably, but were ultimately and predictably outmatched in the nightcap against the Blue Devils at Madison Square Garden. (Give Kansas this: at least they played much better than Kentucky, who is in crisis mode after being booed by the state of Michigan.)

The positives: KU had 22 points and nine rebounds after transferring to Illinois Tre White15 points and six rebounds from St. Bonaventure transfer Melvin Council Jr., and 14 points and six rebounds from sophomore big Flory Bidunga. But the Jayhawks were clearly limited and stripped of their danger by not having Peterson.

“We’re a makeshift team right now,” Self said.

Without Peterson getting into the paint and forcing Duke into more honest defense, it was only a matter of time before the Blue Devils found separation, which became a reality in the final 4:40 as Jon Scheyer’s team defeated Kansas 11-2.

Unfortunately for college basketball fans, this meant that Peterson and Cameron Boozer might have been the top two picks N.B.A choices from 2026, did not share the floor. Boozer was productive again for Duke: 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists. The game comes so naturally to him.

Duke’s win tied the score with Kansas: both teams are 9-6 in the 15-year history of the Champions Classic. Tuesday night also marked the end of KU’s five-game winning streak in the event. If Peterson had been available, Kansas clearly could have had it. But there is no point in sustaining a delicate injury three weeks into the season. Peterson may be the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, but the KU coaching staff and doctors monitoring his recovery will make sure that isn’t jeopardized. A bruised hamstring can become a long-term injury if it worsens again before proper recovery, so Kansas will have to wait a while.

Self elaborated a little more on the nature of Peterson’s problem.

“He has hamstring tightness, which is caused by a mild hamstring strain, so until that goes away, he’s not going to get any confirmation that he can play on it, push off and things like that, which has been going on for quite a long time,” Self said. “We actually feel good about what we’re doing, they feel good about what we’re doing and we think it won’t last long.”

Kansas doesn’t play again until Monday, when the team is in Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival. Notre Dame is first, and Syracuse the next. Wednesday’s opponent will be determined based on the composite results of the first two days. Speaking with Self on the walk back to the locker room, I got the sense that there is optimism that Peterson will return to the floor next week.

“He will be reevaluated on Thursday or Friday,” Self told CBS Sports, adding that there is no chance Peterson could or would want to play three games in Vegas even if he is cleared to play in time for next week. That makes sense, of course. If Peterson’s hamstring can be cleared for competition, asking for three straight days of full-throttle play would be asking for more trouble.

“I’m hopeful,” Self told CBS Sports about Peterson’s prospects of playing next week, “but the back-to-back-to-back is going to be tough.”

Peterson or no Peterson, Kansas will need at least two of the three in Vegas to feel good about its position in the sport. Tuesday’s loss will likely knock Kansas out of the AP rankings. The Jayhawks are off to a 3-2 start for the first time since 2011 and are just beginning a run of seven straight games against major opponents including Connecticut and NC State. It’s the longest stretch of its kind in college basketball this season — and one of the longest we’ve seen in non-conference play in the past decade.

That kind of gauntlet can’t reasonably be run without Peterson. Kansas’ hopes for this season depend almost entirely on No. 22. Hopefully, for the Jayhawks’ sake, Sin City can bring some luck and a turn in fortunes.