Darryn Peterson

ANALYSIS
Having enrolled at Kansas as the 2025 Jayhawks' top recruit in their freshman class, Peterson subsequently forgoing three years of collegiate eligibility after his first season comes as no surprise. It was not a smooth transition for the 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard though, as lower-body injuries rendered him out for nine of KU's 13 non-conference games. But between the 2025-26 Jayhawks' conference matchups and the 2026 NCAA tournament, he was mostly healthy, logging just two DNPs in a 22-game span. It saw Peterson prove his worth by averaging 20.4 points (on 42.2/37.4/83.2 shooting splits) to go with 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers made, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals, good enough for All-Big 12 Second Team honors and a second-round advancement into the Big Dance. While future availability is cause for concern, Peterson remains one of the draft's best prospects nonetheless, a quality talent with potential to be a top-three selection.