The Kansas basketball program has gotten off to a tepid start to the 2025 college basketball season, currently sitting at 4-2 and unranked ahead of Tuesday afternoon's matchup against the Syracuse Orange. That game will be a part of the Players Era Festival in Paradise, Nevada, but unfortunately, fans in attendance won't get to see arguably the most recognizable player on the Jayhawks' team.
That would be freshman point guard Darryn Peterson, who has been out of the lineup with an injury for multiple weeks. Recently, Kansas head coach Bill Self gave a somewhat murky update on the status of his star.
“I am hopeful that it's soon,” Self said, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN. “He's doing more every day. He's working out [in Las Vegas]. He's running, He's cutting. He's got to test out some things, which we'll test again when we get back [to Lawrence]. So, it's week-to-week. That may be too long. It's more of every three or four days, we will reevaluate and see.”
Self also spoke on the status of Jayden Dawson, who hurt himself while dunking during warmups recently.
“X-rays are still pending,” Self said. “Apparently, he hurt it dunking in warmups, so it's his right wrist. So, I bet he's doubtful for the [Players Era Festival], but I do not know that for a fact. But he went in today and then obviously said he couldn't go, so that was disappointing because we're kind of short-handed right now.”
Overall, the Jayhawks would certainly like to get both Dawson and Peterson, who is projected to be a top three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, back as soon as possible before this season gets away from them completely.
In any case, the Jayhawks and Orange are set to tip things off on Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 pm ET.
