5-star Kansas commit Darryn Peterson drops 3-word reaction as Bill Self’s assistant gets inducted into Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame

Kansas coach Bill Self's staff, who welcomes No. 1 recruit Darryn Peterson this season, added another feather in its cap. Self's assistant Kurtis Townsend has been inducted into the 2025 class of A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame. He was bestowed with the honor at Charlotte's Queens University.

Townsend is the longest-tenured assistant coach in the school's history. He joined in 2004, a season after Self. He played an active role in KU's three Final Four appearances, three title game runs and two national championships. The school highlighted Townsend's achievement through an Instagram post on Tuesday.

"Proud moment for Coach Townsend 🙌 @kthoops has officially been inducted into A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025," the post read.

As Kansas fans reacted to the update in the comment section, freshman Darryn Peterson also joined in.

"Congrats my guy," he wrote.

Former NBA players Desmon Farmer and Jamal Crawford also followed suit.

"Congrats Coach T," Farmer added.

"My guy!! Legend!!" Crawford commented.

Former NBA players and current Kansas player react to KU assistant coach's honor | via @kuhoops, @kthoops/Instagram

Alongside Kurtis Townsend, Illinois' Orlando Antigua, UNC Greensboro's Fred Applin, UCLA's Shannon LeBeauf and Jerry Norman, Wake Forest's Ernie Nestor, UNC Greensboro's Fred Applin and Texas A&M's Steve Roccoforte were also honored.

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Kurtis Townsend played an instrumental role in bringing Darryn Peterson to Kansas

Kurtis Townsend was Kansas' lead recruiter for Darryn Peterson, who rejected offers from St. John's, Ohio State, USC and other notable programs. Bill Self credited the assistant coach's efforts while addressing Peterson's allegiance to his program last year.

"Darryn was as important as any recruit we have recruited in recent memory," he said. "Coach Townsend did a great job as the lead recruiter, Darryn can be a catalyst to also draw other players to our program."

Townsend also impacted the additions of the three-star recruit Samis Calderon and four-star Bryson Tiller, who he had been pursuing for the last three years.

With the addition of Darryn Peterson, Tiller, Calderon and Corbin Allen Bill Self's 2025 recruiting class is a top-35 in the nation.