Darin Peterson faced significant cramps that led him to fear for his life as he prepared for the upcoming NBA Draft. Last September, a grueling week of practices with Kansas coach Bill Self took a turn for the worse, prompting an ambulance ride to the hospital.
“I went into the training room and asked them to call 911,” he recounted. “They started an IV but were struggling to find a vein because I was convulsing so much.”
On that day, Peterson genuinely believed he might perish on the practice bench.
Cramps became a recurring issue during his season at Kansas. Although there were bright spots, his struggles with cramps and various injuries caused him to miss games or exit them prematurely.
As the draft lottery approaches, Peterson has uncovered the cause of his unexplained cramps. He shared with ESPN that medical tests indicated adverse effects from consuming high doses of creatine.
Creatine is typically used for training and recovery, according to health resources.
“I had never taken it before college. After a two-week break, I was tested and saw that my baseline levels were already high,” he said. “They suggested that when I increased the dosage, it reached an unsafe level.”
Experts view Peterson, alongside BYU’s AJ Divanza and Duke’s Cameron Boozer, as one of the top picks in the upcoming draft, with many believing either Peterson or Divanza could be selected first overall.
He’s immensely talented, averaging 20.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, yet questions linger due to the unusual circumstances that limited him to just 24 games at Kansas.
While his playing time had to be carefully managed, Peterson and Coach Self kept the specifics of his absences under wraps.
He described the September ordeal as traumatic, recalling that doctors initially diagnosed him as dehydrated. In the days following, he experienced lingering pain and became anxious about reliving the incident.
“Whenever I felt something similar, my first thought was that it could happen again,” he expressed. “It was embarrassing—seeing that on TV was tough for me.”
Peterson’s most notable ejection due to cramps took place during a key game against BYU, where he had to leave just 20 minutes in. In retrospect, he questions whether he handled the situation appropriately.
“The main thing was to keep trying, even though I wasn’t sure what was wrong,” he reflected. “When I committed to Kansas, I told Coach Self I would do whatever I could to help win a championship and support my teammates.”
By the season’s end, he found himself performing well, regularly exceeding 30 minutes in games. He did appreciate the support from his teammates while keeping the details of his struggles mostly private due to a lack of clarity.
Peterson’s father repeatedly reassured him, while his mother took a more serious approach, advising him to understand the gravity of his situation.
“There were definitely moments I wanted to quit, feeling like the world was against me, but my family really helped,” he admitted.
Now, he’s refrained from creatine as he prepares for the NBA Combine and has gained clarity on the turbulent year he faced. He hopes that the team that drafts him will leverage his skills as a point guard, unlike his experience at Kansas, with the Wizards, Pacers, and Nets having the best odds for the top pick.
Peterson looks forward to a brighter future in professional basketball.
“It was a day off from being my true self. Throughout much of the year, I felt bound by restrictions. As a point guard, you’re expected to manage the game, and I’ve been reflecting on how things might have been different if I hadn’t encountered these challenges.”
