Top NBA draft prospect Darryn Peterson thought he was going to die on a training table. He was begging trainers to call 911. His entire body was cramping so severely that medical staff couldn't find a vein for an IV.

Now we know why: high doses of creatine supplements.

Peterson, ranked as the No. 2 prospect in this year's NBA draft by ESPN, spent much of his freshman season at Kansas battling mysterious and debilitating cramping. Post-season bloodwork and testing finally revealed the culprit.

Here's what happened. After Bill Self's annual weeklong boot camp in September, Peterson had the scariest episode. It started in his legs, then spread - stomach, back, arms, hands. Eventually his whole body was seizing up.

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

Let that sink in. This is a 19-year-old kid with NBA scouts drooling over his talent, and he's lying there thinking he might not make it out alive.

The cramping issues plagued him all season. He missed 11 games. He frequently had to leave games mid-action. Coaches and trainers were baffled. Everyone was searching for answers.

Turns out, Peterson had never taken creatine before college. When he started supplementing, he was taking high doses - and his body already had naturally elevated baseline levels. When you combine high natural levels with aggressive supplementation, you create an unsafe situation.

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