“We really maybe back”: Kansas hoops fans react to five-star recruit Darryn Peterson’s putting on a clinic in practice

Kansas fans are already buzzing about five-star talent Darryn Peterson, who gave a glimpse of what is to come during a recent practice session. The Jayhawks’ Instagram post on Wednesday showed the freshman draining a 3-pointer and moving with intensity, drawing reactions from the fans.

“The speed in these clips alone….. wow. We really may be back,” one fan commented.

Another wrote, “Bucket Jones💙❤️,” using the nickname given to Peterson by his father, Darryl.

“We need daily footage.. 🙌,” a fan requested.

Kansas hoops fans react to five-star recruit Darryn Peterson putting on a clinic in practice. Credit: IG/@kuhoops

Some fans, however, still want more:

“Need another big/wing and I’ll be happy,” one said.

Another urged, “We still need 1 knock down shooter and two quality bigs.”

“Need more Elscoro,” a fan commented.

Peterson arrives in Lawrence as one of the top players in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-5 guard dominated high school basketball, named as a consensus five-star and a McDonald's All-American. Expectations are high that he can help return Kansas to the top of college hoops.

The Jayhawks are coming off a loss in the first round of the 2024-25 NCAA Tournament. Coach Bill Self is looking to bounce back by rebuilding the squad through both high school recruits and the transfer portal.

Alongside Peterson, Kansas also added No. 73 Samis Calderon to the freshman class. From the transfer portal, the Jayhawks landed Melvin Council Jr. from St. Bonaventure, Jayden Dawson from Loyola Chicago and Tre White from Illinois.

If Peterson and the new roster gel under Self’s experienced guidance, Kansas fans have good reason to believe the Jayhawks are on their way back to national prominence in 2025-26.

Kansas HC Bill Self excited to coach Darryn Peterson

Despite coaching big NBA names such as Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins in the past, Self has expressed how excited he is to coach incoming freshman Peterson.

Speaking at the Big 12 meeting in Orlando, which was held on May 27-30, the coach admitted his excitement.

“I’m probably as excited about coaching him (Peterson) as I am about anybody I’ve ever recruited,” Bill Self said.

Peterson is a highly rated talent who is expected to spend just one year at the collegiate level before moving to the NBA.

About the author

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole's favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole's favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.