Five-star guard Darryn Peterson committed to Kansas

It was clear from the start that Kansas would be extremely difficult to beat for Darryn Peterson, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound guard from Prolific Prep in Napa, California. The Jayhawks were always considered a player for Peterson, the No. 3rd player in the Class of 20205. However, after his official visit to Kansas on June 23, there was a feeling that Kansas had officially emerged as the team to beat for the top-ranked shooting guard in its class.

“The visit was incredible,” said Darryl Peterson, father of five-star guard Darryn Peterson. “Coach Self and his staff have done a great job laying out the plan they have for Darryn in terms of the development and role he will play on the team, as well as the opportunities that exist in a place with as rich a basketball history as Kansas can afford.” a child like Darryn. Very exciting

“What stood out to Darryn the most was when Coach Self said ask the tough questions, and one question that came from most competitors was why would a guard like Darryn go to a big man-run school like Kansas?” and Self was prepared for it if all the stats were right.” We go back to 2016 of all the player averages and accolades just to prove the facts that he had a ton of success with the guards and Darryn even at a place like Kansas could have even more,” he added.

From that moment on, Kansas was considered the team to beat for Peterson, a five-star prospect. However, the original plan was for Peterson to make a series of official visits before making a final decision about his future.

When the dust finally settled near the end of his recruitment, only four programs, Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State and USC, remained for Peterson.

While the other programs might have made the decision for Peterson more difficult, saying no to Kansas simply wasn't an option for one of the truly elite players in the 20205 class.

Bill Self selected Darryn Peterson in the 2025 class and because of his efforts, Self and the Jayhawks were rewarded with a verbal commitment from a future star on Friday night.

What exactly does Kansas get with Darryn Peterson? JayhawkSlant.com caught up with Jacey Zembal of TheWolfPackCentral.com (https://ncstate.rivals.com/) to get his thoughts on KU's first commit from the 2025 class.

“Every now and then you have a young prospect who has such a good reputation that you have to prepare to see him play,” Zembak said. “Darryn Peterson, who comes from Cuyahoga Valley (Ohio) Christian High, fits that description. After watching Peterson play with the New Jersey Scholars 16s in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, it was clear his potential was real and that he would be a top-five contender in the country.

“Peterson and his family were rewarded with their own Phenom United travel team program on the Adidas 3SSB circuit in 2023,” he added. “He became a threat to score 30-plus points every game and was coached by former NBA coach Sam Mitchell last summer.

“Peterson is a true alpha on the court, whether in USA Basketball or other events, and he excels at all three levels in a variety of ways,” he continued. “In some ways, he could be like Paul Pierce in the sense that he scores not because he's an elite run/jump NFL combination athlete, but because of his shooting technique and skill. Like most players, he can continue to improve his outside jumping, but he should be a good contributor in his first year.”