Darryn Peterson, a Kansas Jayhawks star, struggled with debilitating cramps during his freshman season, impacting his availability. Reports indicate that high doses of creatine contributed to these issues.
Kansas Jayhawks star freshman Darryn Peterson was once considered the consensus favorite to hear his name at No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
After his one-and-done campaign, however, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer have gained momentum as potential options for the first pick in the draft. One reason is because Peterson was relatively inconsistent with his availability during his sole season playing for Bill Self while at Kansas.
Peterson missed time while suffering from cramps, which led to some issues with his availability on the court.
Due to reporting from Ramona Shelburne, fans have learned more about the reason behind the cramping (via ESPN):
"One of the top prospects in this year's NBA draft spent much of his freshman season at Kansas trying to solve mysterious and sometimes debilitating cramping. But in an extended interview with ESPN this week, Peterson said that a new round of bloodwork and other tests after the college basketball season led his doctors to conclude that his use of high doses of creatine created the condition."
According to Peterson, he had never taken the supplement before college and he went to the hospital in an ambulance.
He told ESPN he thought he was "going to die" on the training table due to how bad the cramps felt. After such a scary incident, it makes sense why Kansas was extra cautious with him during the season.
Peterson is currently projected at No. 4 overall in USA TODAY's latest NBA mock draft. The NBA draft lottery is on May 10 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Darryn Peterson creatine: Kansas star reveals reason for cramps
Darryn Peterson's cramps were reportedly caused by high doses of creatine.
Peterson's inconsistency due to cramps has allowed other players like AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer to gain momentum as top NBA Draft picks.
AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer have emerged as leading candidates for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft following Peterson's inconsistent performance.
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