Bill Self gets glimpse of future, watches top signee Darryn Peterson in-person

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) - It’s officially the offseason for the University of Kansas (KU) Jayhawks, and head coach Bill Self is already preparing for next season.

On Sunday, March 23, Self was at Haskell Indian Nations University to watch KU’s next potential star play in person at a high school tournament.

KU’s top signee in the Class of 2025 is Darryn Peterson. The 6-foot-5 guard is a consensus top-three player in the nation – with the potential to be a one-and-done and the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

“He’s going to be in the conversation,” Bill Self said about Peterson. “He’s good.”

Peterson and his high school team, Prolific Prep out of California, captured the Grind Session High School World Basketball Championship. Peterson had 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists as Self and Kurtis Townsend sat courtside.

“Super excited, they welcomed me well this weekend,” Peterson said when asked about his warm reception in Lawrence ahead of his college career. “I’m a winner. That’s all I’ve got. I’m going to work super hard to get wins every night.”

Peterson’s high school coach calls him a lethal scorer and lockdown defender but says Peterson’s best quality may be who he is as a person.

“They are getting a really high-character kid and one of the hardest workers and best competitors you can have,” said Ryan Bernardi, Prolific Prep’s head coach. “He was raised impeccably by his family. He’s a terrific person. Never gets too high, never gets too low. He’s a great competitor. You’re getting a special one.”

Self agrees. Listen to him talk about Peterson, and he thinks he could have an impact at Kansas like Cooper Flagg did at Duke.

“I love his game. I think he can do a lot of things to help a team win – i.e. what Cooper has done at Duke from what I’ve seen,” Self said. “He’s one of the few guys in America who can not score and still control the game. Hopefully, Darryn will be a player like that for us, as well.”

Peterson was named the 2025 Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year. He is just the third Jayhawk, after Andrew Wiggins and Cliff Alexander, to win the award.

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