Darryn Peterson was rightly regarded as one of the nation’s best prospects when he committed to the Kansas Jayhawks in early November of 2024. His unofficial debut against Louisville capsized his potential as the Prolific Prep alum notched 26 points in just 25 minutes, only fanning expectations.
But we know how the story goes.
Ultimately, through cramping, injuries and a supporting cast that couldn’t keep pace, eventually Kansas’ offense was figured out.
With Peterson chopping and changing between the starting five and the bench, at several points through last season, there were points where KU even looked more efficient without the five-star guard on the court. Something you would have never imagined as his sixth three-pointer of the night rang in against the Cardinals.
Despite the injuries, Peterson did show some brilliant moments in a KU uniform and was instrumental in several big wins against Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU (twice), and even in the NCAA Tournament, when Cal Baptist’s Dominique Daniels Jr. caught fire late, Peterson’s 28 points were enough to keep the Lancers from mounting a 26-point comeback.
Despite the injury crisis that plagued his one and only season with the program, Peterson should be put on the right side of Kansas basketball history.
Peterson ranked as the third-best prospect in 2025-26, combination class
Jeremy Woo of ESPN took the tall task of ranking the 10-best prospects in a combined class from last year’s NBA class and the one which will be taking the stage later this month.
Peterson was selected as the No. 3 prospect behind Cooper Flagg, who went first overall in 2025 and in Woo’s combo draft, and AJ Dybantsa, who is tipped to go first in this year’s draft, ahead of Peterson.
“...I felt strongly about his offensive talent and ceiling, and still believe he could be an All-NBA level talent if things smooth out for him. With the way the NBA has historically prioritized size at the top of the draft, guard prospects are rarely viewed as true No. 1 pick contenders,” writes Woo.
Peterson notched 12, 20+ point scoring nights, which included a career-high of 32 against the Horned Frogs in early January. While Peterson’s scoring rates did fluctuate, eventually taking a significant drop as the season hit its latter stages. NBA scouts and executives should have a clear eye on what Peterson’s shot looks like when he was at full health vs not.
“Although the variables introduced by his season at Kansas have complicated his evaluation, Peterson checks every box for a backcourt scorer. He is the most gifted shotmaker to enter the NBA in some time.”
Peterson has drawn Hall of Fame comparisons from several pundits, including Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb. After Peterson’s smooth 21-point outing against the Phoenix on opening night. Gottlieb was quoted as saying that Peterson was “closest to Kobe as I’ve ever seen. [The] kid is awesome.”
If Peterson could have stayed healthy, there would be little doubt that his name would be called first come June 23rd. However, now it is up to the NBA to decide where his future lies, and for Kansas to look towards a stacked 2026 recruiting class that will hopefully propel the Jayhawks to heights Peterson and Co. failed to.
More Kansas Basketball News
Add us as a preferred source on Google