If Kansas basketball fans were looking for something to feel good about after the recent wave of transfers, Darryn Peterson just gave them a reason to smile. The future Jayhawk is not even on campus yet, but he already looks like the real deal.
Just days after earning Co-MVP honors with 18 points at the McDonald's All-American Game, Peterson was back at it again with the spotlight on him at the Chipotle Nationals. In a nail-biting quarterfinal matchup between No. 6 seed Prolific Prep and No. 3 seed Long Island Lutheran (NY), the game came down to one final shot.
With his team trailing 68-67 in the final seconds, Peterson caught the inbound pass and, despite being 0-for-6 from three at that point, calmly rose up and buried a clutch jumper to give Prolific Prep the lead. Talk about confidence.
CLUTCH 3️⃣ from DP to send to OT and then get a W 👏#RockChalk x @PetersonDarryn
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) April 3, 2025
pic.twitter.com/Gk1NU0MPQQ
Darryn Peterson starred for Prolific Prep in the Chipotle Nationals
Peterson ended the game with 28 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and one big-time shot. Long Island Lutheran managed to send it to overtime, but Peterson helped Prolific Prep hang on for the 81-80 win. It was the latest moment in what has been a wild and impressive stretch for the 5-star recruit.
"It's been pretty crazy over the last couple of days," Peterson told ESPN. "McDonald's was nonstop just with intense practices and a lot of different things they had us doing then I came straight here and had practice. I tried to sleep the rest of the day to be ready for today. I usually have at least some time to rest in between, but it's just been nonstop."
Even through that whirlwind, Peterson has kept showing out. The No. 2 overall prospect in the Class of 2025 is being hyped as KU’s best recruit since Andrew Wiggins, and some scouts think he could be the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He is also the first high school player to sign with Adidas.
Peterson figures to be the top player on a 2025-26 Kansas team with significant roster holes, but performances like these give fans a little more hope about next season, regardless of the departures to the transfer portal.