Kansas basketball's loss to Louisville brought back a familiar concern after cramping once again became an issue for the Jayhawks.
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In its second exhibition clash of the preseason, Kansas fell 89-83 to No. 11 Louisville in an electric Allen Fieldhouse environment. While the Jayhawks were unable to emerge victorious, it was an excellent experience for this new-look KU squad ahead of the regular season.
A win would have been nice, but the most concerning moment of the matchup came when 5-star freshman Taylen Kinney was visibly hobbled with a left knee injury. He had to be helped to the locker room in the second half after scoring four points and assisting six baskets in 21 minutes played.
Following the defeat, head coach Bill Self revealed more details about what happened to Kinney. The first-year phenom is reportedly dealing with cramps and needed to receive IV fluids as a result.
"He got cramps, so they put an IV in him," Self explained when he was asked why Kinney couldn't finish the game. "It wasn't as hot in [Allen Fieldhouse] as it will be Sunday, but it was still pretty warm in there. But he only played 20 minutes. We need he and Leroy [Blyden Jr.] to both be more productive."
— Matt Tait (@mctait) October 22, 2026#KUbball freshman guard Taylen Kinney got cramps so they put an IV in him and he only played 20ish minutes...
"We need him and Leroy to be more productive."
Doesn't sound like anything to worry about.
These quotes and the situation itself are eerily similar to what fans experienced with Darryn Peterson a year ago. The very same cramping issue that harshly disrupted his freshman season in 2025-26 went public against — wait for it — Louisville in a preseason scrimmage, only that time it was at the KFC Yum! Center.
Although Peterson missed 11 games because of his mysterious cramping saga last year, the problem persisted throughout the campaign. He asked out of several contests and couldn't finish many second halves when KU needed him most. It was later revealed that elevated creatine levels led to a full-body cramping episode before the season in which he later recalled, "I thought I was going to die on the training table that day."
To draw even more parallels, Kinney is another highly touted freshman guard who is entering his first year in Lawrence with lofty expectations. Self already said that Leroy Blyden Jr. would be getting the start over Kinney this weekend versus Duke, though it doesn't appear to be related to the injury.
Much like he did in last year's press conference, Self glossed over it last night and didn't make it out to be something serious. However, the déjà vu Kansas fans have with the word "cramping" is going to last for the foreseeable future.
For now, this seems to be a one-off instance for Kinney that shouldn't affect him long-term. But if the Jayhawk faithful have to go another season hearing Self dodge questions about players' mysterious cramping again, there are going to be serious conversations about the medical staff and why the same problem keeps happening to these players.
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A lifelong Kansas basketball and football fan, Josh recently graduated from The College of New Jersey, majoring in Communications and minoring in Journalism. Josh has over 1,500 published articles on KU athletics across Kansas on SI and FanSided's Through the Phog, with additional work at Indiana on SI, Notre Dame on SI, and Pro Football Network. Josh looks to provide a fan's perspective in his writing for the school he has loved since he was a kid. KC Sports Network is the premier destination for Kansas City sports fans with podcasts, YouTube and social media content. Stay connected with the latest news and analysis by following KCSN on all social media platforms.
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