Kansas basketball signee Darryn Peterson named Naismith High School Player of the Year

Future Kansas Jayhawk Darryn Peterson earned a high honor this week as he was named the 2025 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year. He is the third player to do so in KU basketball history, joining Andrew Wiggins (2013) and Cliff Alexander (2014).

The 6-foot-5 Peterson is currently averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game at Prolific Prep High School in Napa, California. He’s a consensus top three prospect according to every major recruiting outlet and could end up being the No. 1 overall recruit when final rankings are released later this spring.  

In addition to becoming Naismith Player of the Year, Peterson is also one of 24 players named to this year’s McDonald’s All-American roster. He is the 52nd KU men’s basketball signee to make the roster.

The Naismith award is just another acknowledgement of what a talented player KU is getting next year in Peterson. He is a true difference maker and will be for this program.  

And although his time in Lawrence will likely be short, at the end of it he could lead this team to big things in the postseason and possibly become the third player in KU history to be selected as the first pick in the NBA Draft.