Kansas basketball: Darryn Peterson planning to take official visit, says Jayhawks 'system sticks out' to him

The top priority for Kansas basketball on the recruiting trail is Darryn Peterson. A dynamic guard who is a consensus top-five prospect in his class, Peterson became the first high school basketball player to sign an NIL deal with Adidas this month, the brand that represents the Jayhawks.

Although he is a junior in high school, the Huntington Prep student is a reclassification candidate and could play college ball as early as next year. He would join Flory Bidunga, Labaron Philon, and Rakease Passmore in the 2024 class if he did move up a year and commit to KU.

Peterson recently caught up with On3 to talk about the schools he is interested in. He confirmed that he will be taking official visits to at least five schools, one of them being in Lawrence. Kansas will be competing with Kentucky, UNC, Arkansas, and Ohio State for the 5-star phenom. The date for each of them has yet to be announced.

He also spoke about why he finds the Kansas basketball program intriguing. Peterson had high praise for how head coach Bill Self has used his players.

"Their system sticks out to me, I like how they play their guards," he said. "They have a lot of ball screen play with their guards and let them get downhill to make a play. They play with shooters and feed the big. Looking at their team now, they play Elmarko Jackson. So, I see they play freshmen and they trust him to come out and start for them.”

At 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, Peterson is a combo guard who can score at all three levels and excels as a playmaker or ball handler. Whether on or off the ball, he is making an impact on the floor. His mid-range game is crisp and his outside shot is evolving, but where he really shines is when he creates baskets for others.

Peterson added some other things that could factor into his recruitment.

“I want to play for a coach that I know will push me. Put the ball in my hands to play the guard position and help me grow and prepare myself for the NBA. Having guys around me who can play will be big. I like to ring up assists too.”

If Peterson were to reclass to 2024 — and the consensus is that he will — he would immediately become one of the most highly coveted players in the country. Adding someone of his caliber would immediately bring the Jayhawk roster to a different level, and Peterson would be Coach Self's highest-rated recruit since Andrew Wiggins a decade ago.