With Darryn Peterson being sidelined for almost 29 days now, the Border War returns with extra intrigue this year! Within just a few hours, the No. 21-ranked Kansas Jayhawks will lock horns with their long-term rivals, the Missouri Tigers. Since 2021, the Jayhawks have maintained a winning streak (3-0) against the Tigers, except last year, when they suffered a blowout loss, 76-67, and this time, they are looking for revenge.

“They kicked our ass last year. Certainly, I haven’t forgot that… the attention this game will get, will be more than the attention that Notre Dame, UConn, Duke, and Tennessee got combined,” head coach Bill Self said in an interview.

And while there is no doubt that this game will have every fan jumping from their seats, one big question remains! Will we see Peterson back on the court?

Is Darryn Peterson Playing Today vs the Tigers?

Well, we finally have encouraging news for Kansas fans. The Jayhawks’ guard Peterson has received the green light from his head coach and the Kansas front office, and he has a very good chance to play in the upcoming game.

Talking to the reporters during his press conference on Friday, coach Self recently revealed that the 18-year-old star freshman should make his return after being absent for seven games because of his lingering hamstring injury.

“He’s practiced the last two days,” Self said. “So, he should be available unless you know he has a setback between now and game time. But we’re approaching it like he’ll be available.”

In the only two games Darryn Peterson has played so far, he was averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals, while going 50% from behind the arc. Since then, this is the most encouraging update that Self has given the fans. However, it’s not 100% guaranteed that Peterson is going to play because if coach Self has even a single doubt about his health, fans can expect to see Peterson on the sidelines.

“We wouldn’t put him out there unless he was full speed,” Self further added. “He’s tried his a– off to get back sooner. If it wasn’t for his four days of four times a day treatment and everything else going on, maybe he would be out longer. So yeah, I’m really looking forward to having him back out there, but more so for him than anything else.”

In the end, whether Darryn Peterson plays or not will ultimately come down to how his body responds pregame, but if he does suit up for the game, he will have limited minutes naturally.

Kansas Jayhawks vs Missouri Tigers Injury Reports

Here’s how both teams fare within the injury department:

Kansas Jayhawks injury report

After a tough loss to the No. 5-ranked UConn Huskies in their last matchup, the Jayhawks will head into this rivalry matchup in far better health than they’ve been in weeks. With Peterson trending toward a return, Kansas has no other major injuries to monitor, giving Bill Self access to a nearly full rotation for one of the biggest games on its schedule.

Missouri Tigers injury reports

As for the Tigers, they will take the floor without their key senior guard, Jayden Stone. Averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, Stone injured his non-shooting hand during practice in late November and is expected to miss 3–4 weeks.

Even on the quickest recovery timeline, Stone is projected to sit out at least six games, leaving the Tigers without one of their more dynamic backcourt scorers.

Kansas vs Missouri predicted lineups

According to ESPN Analytics, this matchup is predicted to be in favor of the Jayhawks with 55.9%. With both teams coming to play after a loss in their last game, and Kansas sitting at 6-3 and Missouri at 8-1, Kansas may hold the statistical edge, but things can always flip in a second in college basketball.

As the matchup comes closer, here’s how the Kansas Jayhawks could start with Darryn Peterson expected to return:

Meanwhile, here’s how the Missouri Tigers could start tonight: