Top 2026 NBA Draft prospect Darryn Peterson said high doses of creatine caused the severe cramping issues that affected his freshman season at Kansas.
Peterson underwent tests after his lone college season ended, including a round of bloodwork, that identified the issue, he told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. Creatine is a popular supplement athletes use to help increase muscle strength, power, and growth.
"I'd never taken it before (going to college)," Peterson said. "But after the season I took two weeks off and they did tests which showed my baseline level was already high. So, they said when I dosed, it must've made the levels unsafe."
The 6-foot-6 guard is in the running to be the first pick in the NBA draft alongside AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer. Peterson missed 11 games at Kansas and asked to be removed from several others. The 19-year-old sat out the entire second half of the team's Jan. 31 game against BYU. Aside from cramping, he also dealt with hamstring and ankle injuries.
In March, Peterson revealed that he'd been hospitalized in September when his whole body began to cramp up in the aftermath of Bill Self's annual weeklong basketball boot camp.
"I made it to the training room and just started begging them to call 911," he recounted to Shelburne. "They were trying to get a vein to get me the IV, get me back hydrated. But I was cramping so hard they couldn't get a vein.
"I thought I was going to die on the training table that day."
Peterson said he stopped taking creatine and hasn't had any issues since. He's been training in Los Angeles ahead of the scouting combine, which begins May 11.
Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals over 24 games during the 2025-25 season with Kansas.
