For most teams, a road win in the Big 12 is something you circle, celebrate and move on from. For the Kansas Jayhawks, Wednesday’s 81-69 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys felt different.
They won. They handled business. They looked sharp for stretches.
And yet, the biggest takeaway once again was Darryn Peterson walking to the bench far earlier than anyone expected.
This time, even Bill Self did not try to downplay it. He called it “a concern.” When a Hall of Fame coach uses that word in late February, people should listen.
It is not just one night
Peterson was outstanding in the first half. He scored 23 points in just 18 minutes and drilled six three-pointers. He looked like the future No. 1 overall pick he is projected to be.
Then, three minutes into the second half, he tapped his leg and headed to the bench because of cramping. He did not return.
If this were the first time, it would be easy to shrug off. It is not.
Peterson has dealt with a hamstring issue, an ankle injury, illness and multiple cramping episodes this season. He has played in just 15 of Kansas’ 26 games. He left early against Baylor. He was limited in the loss at Iowa State. Now this.
At some point, it stops feeling random and starts feeling like a pattern.
Kansas can survive, but that is not the standard
To Kansas’ credit, they have adjusted. Tre White, Elmarko Jackson and Bryson Tiller stepped up to close out Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks are 20-6 and 10-3 in the Big 12. They have shown they can beat high-level teams even when Peterson is not fully available.
But surviving is not the goal in Lawrence.
This is a program that measures seasons by banners. The conversation is not about winning on a Wednesday in February. It is about what happens in the NCAA Tournament.
Self said it plainly. When you get into March and you are facing a team just as good as you are, you need your best players available. All it takes is one game where your star can only give you 18 minutes. That is how seasons end.
That is what makes this more than a minor issue.
The NBA factor makes it louder
There is also the reality everyone understands but few want to say out loud.
Peterson is a projected top pick. In today’s NIL era, college basketball is more businesslike than ever. Analysts are already debating load management and long-term thinking. Fair or not, those conversations grow every time he exits early.
That does not mean Peterson is not competing. It does mean the optics are different when the player involved is a potential franchise-changing NBA talent.
Every cramp now comes with a question attached.
The Big 12 race is still in front of them
Here is the part that makes this even more complicated.
Kansas still controls its own destiny in the Big 12.
The stretch run is loaded. Saturday brings a matchup with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Monday features a heavyweight showdown with the Houston Cougars. Then it is a massive road trip to face the Arizona Wildcats on Feb. 28, followed by another road game at the Arizona State Sun Devils on March 3. The regular season closes at home against the Kansas State Wildcats on March 7.
That is not a soft landing.
If Kansas wins those games, or even most of them, the Jayhawks can grab a Big 12 title or at least a top seed in the conference tournament. That would mean momentum. That would mean positioning. That would mean avoiding tougher matchups early in March.
But those games are also physical. They are intense. They are played at a tournament-level pace.
Kansas needs Peterson available not just for March Madness, but for this final sprint. The Jayhawks do control their destiny. The question is whether their best player can consistently help them seize it.
This is about reliability
Kansas does not need Peterson to score 30 every night. They need him to be there, fully available, when the moment demands it.
Can he give them 32 to 35 high-level minutes in a Sweet 16 game? In an Elite Eight matchup that swings on two possessions? In a Final Four where depth and composure are tested every trip down the floor?
Right now, there is no clear answer.
Cramping sounds minor. It does not feel minor when it keeps happening. It does not feel minor when your coach publicly admits concern in late February.
Kansas has the pieces to make a deep run. The Jayhawks have experience, depth and one of the best coaches in the sport.
But their ceiling still hinges on one thing.
Can Darryn Peterson stay on the floor when it matters most?
Until that question is answered, it will hover over everything Kansas does from now until March ends.