Kansas entered March Madness as the No. 7 seed in the West Region, but their tournament run was cut short in the first round after a 79–72 upset loss to No. 10 seed Arkansas. The early exit capped off a disappointing season that ended with a 21–13 overall record (11–9 in Big 12 play), falling well below preseason expectations.
Following the defeat, head coach Bill Self‘s program underwent significant roster turnover, leaving just a few returning players for the 2025–26 campaign. As a result, the coaching staff made it clear: incoming freshmen would need to step up in major ways this fall.
One of those key newcomers is five-star recruit Darryn Peterson.
On Wednesday, Kansas basketball posted a short clip on X of Peterson working out inside Allen Fieldhouse, captioned: “Your morning fix → Darryn Peterson. Kansas sure does look good on him. Rock Chalk 🔴🔵.”
The post quickly racked up thousands of views and reactions.
“So excited to watch this year’s team run the Big 12 🔥🔥😤,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “Yes! Fast tempo offense and in-your-face athletic defense. #RockChalk.”
Some fans joked about past struggles: “We finally have a team that can make a three?”
Others were in awe: “The passing. SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL,” one said, while another simply declared, “NPOY.”
Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 195 pounds, Peterson is a dynamic combo guard from Prolific Prep in Napa, California. He’s ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class by 247Sports and earned McDonald’s All-American honors after averaging 23.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.9 steals as a senior.
Peterson committed to Kansas on November 1, 2024, choosing the Jayhawks over Kansas State, Ohio State, and USC — and now he’s already turning heads before even playing a college game.
