Kansas basketball starts signing period with massive recruiting news for Jayhawks

Kansas basketball has played plenty of eventful early-season matchups lately, picking up a top-10 victory against North Carolina and defeating Michigan State in the Champions Classic. The Jayhawks look as advertised and continue to hold the No. 1 ranking in the country.

While most fans are focused on the current team, some exciting things are happening on the recruiting trail for next week. In a matter of two weeks, head coach Bill Self has earned the commitments of two high-level high school players. Ballyhooed guard Darryn Peterson signed his letter of intent yesterday, and Brazilian forward Samis Calderon surprisingly committed to the program.

Kansas basketball signs Darryn Peterson, earns commitment from Samis Calderon

Ever since Peterson committed to the Jayhawks, he has been the talk of the town in Lawrence. The 5-star recruit chose KU over Ohio State, USC, and Kansas State at the beginning of November and wasted no time to become an early signee with the program. 

Considering how long Kansas had pursued him, it wasn’t surprising to see Peterson immediately put pen to paper. However, Calderon’s decision was a surprise since he signed and committed on the same day — albeit on the first day he could do so.

Calderon is a 6-foot-8 forward who plays for Overtime Elite. Coach Self visited 247 Sports’ 55th-ranked player in the Class of 2025 last month and has reportedly stayed in contact with him since. He had received offers from schools such as Tennessee and Michigan but ultimately chose to open his college career in Lawrence.

It remains to be seen whether Calderon is an alternative to 5-star forward Bryson Tiller, who recently delayed his commitment date (Nov. 10) indefinitely. Kansas still has plenty of remaining roster spots next year with Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris, Zeke Mayo, and others set to graduate.

The addition of Calderon gave Kansas the 18th-best recruiting class in the country. Self might add another recruit or two in the upcoming months, but Peterson alone gives the Jayhawks an unparalleled recruiting class compared to past years.