Kansas Star Darryn Peterson Overcame Severe Creatine Cramping to Become NBA Draft Prospect

Kansas star Darryn Peterson is projected as a top-five pick in this summer's NBA Draft. A few months ago, though, he feared that day might never arrive.

Peterson missed 11 games this season and left several others early because of repeated cramping. The most severe episode struck in September, before the season began.

He told ESPN that trainers rushed him to a hospital from practice after cramps gripped his entire body.

"I made it to the training room and just started begging them to call 911," Peterson said. "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."

After months of tests, Peterson learned high doses of creatine caused the problem. The supplement, popular for building muscle, backfired for him.

"I'd never taken it before [going to college]," he 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."

"It kind of put me in a tizzy because I didn't know what was causing it," he added. "Nothing has ever been wrong with me before. Basketball is my life. What I love to do. But something was going on and I couldn't figure it out."

Peterson quit creatine and has had no issues since. He logged at least 30 minutes in eight of Kansas' last nine games.

His limited play drew criticism, but he pushed hard to stay on the court. He rehabbed daily before and after practice, got massages, carb-loaded, adjusted electrolytes with Liquid IV and LMNT, changed his diet and meal-prepped.

Head coach Bill Self had him play off-ball to avoid overexertion and more cramps.

Peterson averaged 20.2 points per game. He is expected among the first names called next month.