As Duke, Kansas Are Opposing Each Other In Champions Classic Tuesday At Madison Square Garden Darryn Peterson Isn't Going To Be Playing For Kansas Because Of Hamstring Injury

Madison Square Garden is known as the world’s most famous arena!

Duke, Kansas are facing opposing each other Tuesday night in Champions Classic!

Duke is ranked 5th in the AP Top 25 Poll while Kansas is ranked 24th!

Madison Square Garden is known as the world’s most famous arena!

5th ranked Duke, 24th ranked Kansas are facing are opposing each other in Champions Classic Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden home of NBA’s New York Knicks.

Duke is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference while Kansas is a member of the Big 12 Conference!

Duke comes into the Champions Classic with Kansas with record of 4-0 because they’ve won four games in a row including their game recently on Friday November 14, 2025 a 100-62 win over Indiana State in Durham.

4th ranked Duke falling behind their opponent having slow starts offensively has been a trend to start the 2025-2026 season!

On Friday Duke fell behind Indiana State 10-7 in 1st half who is playing without Matthew Graves coaching because he had triple bypass surgery and Indiana State doesn’t know when to expect him back on the bench. Matthew Graves recently visited a hospital in Terre Haute for evaluation following experiencing tightness in his chest . doctors determined he needed surgery . I’m truly grateful for incredible doctors at Union Health for helping my family and me through this process . I look forward to rejoining the program in near future . With coach Slessinger’s experience as a former Head Coach . I have complete confidence in his leadership during my absence . Can’t wait to see everyone back in Hulman Center. Go Sycamores!

A return to Head Coaching duties to the sideline for Matthew Graves has not been announced.

According to article by ESPN News Services

In spite of 4th ranked Duke’s slow start offensively Friday when opposing Indiana State who was playing without Matthew Graves coaching Duke beat Indiana State 100-62 as Cameron Boozer scored 35 points. As Cameron Boozer scored 35 points 13-16 on field goals ,, 2-2 on 3 pointers to go along 12 rebounds , 5 assists.

According to espn app

Following Duke’s slow start offensively when opposing Indiana State who was playing without Matthew Graves coaching Duke beating Indiana State 100 -62 as Cameron Boozer scored 35 points Cameron Boozer had this to say!

I wanted to focus on the right things, like defense, rebounding, pressure on the ball,”

When I’m doing those things, focusing on those things, the other things naturally happen.”

Following Duke’s slow start offensively when opposing Indiana State who was playing without Matthew Graves coaching Duke beating Indiana State 100 -62 as Cameron Boozer scored 35 points Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer had this to say about Cam Boozer!

Cam Boozer had a special night,“To me, it was about his approach. He’s such a competitor. He didn’t love the way he played at Army and he came back so determined.

“I think this was a really good game for us. I think there were some really good things we did. I think we’ve gotten a little bit better each game and each game presented different challenges -- Indiana State tonight with their offense.”

Following Duke’s slow start offensively when opposing Indiana State who was playing without Matthew Graves coaching Duke beating Indiana State 100 -62 as Cameron Boozer scored 35 points Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer had this to say about Indiana State a lead!

They really tested our defense,”“They play with great spacing, great pace. They do a good job screening and attack whatever defense you’re playing. “For us, right away, we got punched in the face and our defense wasn’t what it needed to be. I thought it was great for us to respond, and we did that.”

According to Chip Alexander News & Observer article https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/duke/article312864121.html

Kansas meanwhile comes into the Champions Classic with record of 3-1 because they beat Princeton 76-57 on Saturday in Lawrence where two players scored in double figures including Flory Bidunda who is a forward was 10-11 on field goals , 5-6 on free throws to go along 10 rebounds, 1 assists, 4 turnovers , 1 steal, 3 blocks 7 rebounds. Trey White who is a guard who was 4-7 on field goals , 0-2 on 3 pointers , 10-13 on free throws to go along with 8 rebounds.

According to ESPN App

Following Kansas win over Princton on Saturday Head Coach Bill Self shared his thoughts on Darryn Peterson’s injury ahead of Champions Classic where Kansas is going to be opposing Duke by saying No, we don't know. We got some things to discuss, and we're looking at it. He's getting the best treatment, I mean, all that stuff. But he's got tightness in his right hamstring, and you know he wants to be out there so bad, but I'm not gonna put him out there until he feels well. You can say or think, well, we're trying to win the battle. Well, yeah, we are. But the battle is not nearly as important as the long-term, so to speak, and we have got to get him where he's not hesitant to play. We have seen him play, and he's pretty good, and we still haven't seen him whole yet. Think about that. We need to get him where he can explode without the thought in his mind that something negative could happen, and it probably won't. But I don't want to put him in a situation where he's got to think about that."

Following Kansas win over Princton on Saturday Head Coach Bill Self shared his thoughts on Flory Bidunga, Tre White by saying I thought Flory was the best player in the game by far in the first half by far and gave us a lead, because we obviously weren't any good until then. And then, Tre did some good things too. So I would say, of our bright spots, those would probably be the two brightest ones."

Following Kansas win over Princton on Saturday Head Coach Bill Self shared his thoughts on the upcoming match up with Duke!

I'm not in the best of spirits right at this moment, but we'll get fired up. We'll certainly spend the rest of today getting ourselves ready for practice tomorrow to implement how we want to guard them, or how we're going to attempt to guard them and get ready for the game. It'll be a big boy game. They're good, you know, they're young again. Somebody asked me if they're better than last year, and I said, 'Well, it's too early to tell, but this early in the season, I think they may execute their stuff better than last year, for sure.' Now, last year, what did they have, four or five first-round draft picks and three lottery picks? So, certainly, they're loaded again, and they got a guy (Cameron Boozer) who could foul out a whole team. So we've got to figure out some way to guard him."

Following Kansas win over Princton on Saturday Head Coach Bill Self shared his thoughts on what frustrated him the most about Kansas slow start When a game plan is to deny backcuts, and they didn't throw it to him, but we were beat on the first possession twice. And then, they got up six threes, if I'm not mistaken, in the first four minutes and 30 seconds of the half. That's how you start a game. And switching up and doing all that stuff, I think that was poor, that set the tone. You know, I was pissed from the beginning. Wilder [Evers] has never entered a game that early in a game in his life. But I actually thought he did fine, and because we just didn't guard. It's okay not to be great offensively or whatnot, but you've got to be good defensively. And if you're not a great shooter or you're not making shots at this moment, then do something to help us win. And we didn't guard."

Following Kansas win over Princton on Saturday Head Coach Bill Self shared his thoughts on if his teams 3 point shooting is improving!

It's got to get better. Yeah, it's got to get better. What were we, five of 21? What is that, 23% or whatever? I think we're better shooters than what we are. Now, granted, if Darryn is playing, it's a different deal, because hopefully he's the one shooting a third of those threes himself, but we're not obviously going to have him, at least for the immediate future. I just don't know how long that will be."

According to Joshua Shulman Sports Illustrated article https://www.si.com/college/kansas/basketball/what-kansas-hc-bill-self-said-after-jayhawks-win-over-princeton

Though,

Could Kansas be without Darryn Peterson who is freshman guard who has hamstring injury?

That is the case as he has been ruled out for tonight’s game when Kansas opposes Duke!

Before being ruled out for tonight’s Duke, Kansas game Kansas Head Coach Bill Self had this to say about Darryn Peterson!

We’re not obviously gonna have him, at least for the immediate future. I just don’t know how long that’ll be.” Self said. “We’ve got some things to discuss, but he’s got tightness in his right hamstring. He’s getting the best treatment. He wants to be out there so bad, but I’m not gonna put him out there until he feels well.”

According to Jeff Goodman’s Field of 68 article https://www.on3.com/sites/field-of-68/news/kansas-darryn-peterson-out-champions-classic/

Darryn Peterson continues to make progress from hamstring strain he will be reevaluated at the end of the week!

Darryn Peterson is averaging 21.5 points , 3.5 rebounds , 3.0 assists while shooting 60%

According to espn app

Tip off is set for 9:00pm Eastern Time 8:00pm Central time from Madison Square Garden!

The game is going to be televised on ESPN with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas, Kris Budden commentating!