Latest news with #GrindSessionHighSchoolBasketballWorldChampionships
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘He's just different': KU freshman Darryn Peterson already has teammate's attention
Prolific Prep guard Darryn Peterson (24) dribbles the ball as he sets up a move in the second half of the Grind Session High School Basketball World Championships against DME Academy at Coffin Sports Complex on Saturday, March 22, 2025 in Lawrence, Kansas. Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson hasn't been in Lawrence long, but he's already had a memorable first practice. His current favorite teammate is newcomer and Loyola-Chicago transfer Jayden Dawson. 'Me and Jayden Dawson were killing it yesterday in the three-on-three and four-on-four,' Peterson said. Advertisement The former five-star recruit, nicknamed 'Bucket Jones' by his father, Darryl, has already made quite an impression on his teammates and coach Bill Self. Self called Peterson a 'generational talent' Monday. Dawson didn't quite say that, but the word generational was also thrown around. 'He's just different,' Dawson told The Star about Peterson. 'He's just one of those generational athletes that you don't really come across. It's just special. You can just see it based on his talent alone. This summer alone, he's going to grow so much. Just the talent alone — not too many players you can see that's as good as him.' Dawson has NBA dreams; it's one of the reasons why he picked the Jayhawks. Peterson will certainly command plenty of NBA attention as a contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Advertisement 'DP being the projected number one pick, that's just going to put eyes on me,' Dawson said. 'Bringing NBA scouts and NBA GMs every day for practices and games is exactly what I need for me to get where I want to get to.' That synergy between Dawson and Peterson will be pivotal for the Jayhawks. Dawson is the only player currently on KU's roster who shot above 35% from 3 last season. He averaged 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists a game last season for the Ramblers. Dawson will compete for one of the starting roles alongside Peterson. 'It felt good just being able to be on his side, being his teammate, watching what he can do, which is crazy,' Dawson said. ' I think we complement each other's game really, really well. Being able to shoot the ball as well as we can, I think it just opens up the floor for us so much. Advertisement 'We already have that connection a little bit finding each other. I think it's going to be really special.' Finding the right running mates alongside Peterson has been work in progress for Self and his staff. Multiple players who were linked to KU through the transfer portal told The Star that Peterson recruited them, and Self discussed their fit alongside Peterson. Dawson was no different. He's known about the former five-star recruit for a while. Dawson recalled seeing the battles between Peterson and BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa at the high school level. Peterson and Dybantsa were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the class of 2025 by 247Sports. Dawson also got to see a young Peterson firsthand at a basketball camp and came away impressed with his ability to get buckets. Advertisement As for what KU fans and his teammates can expect from Dawson? 'I'm just going to be that guy that's going to do whatever is asked of him,' Dawson said. 'If I gotta dive on a loose ball, I'll dive on it. If I (have) to hit an open 3 and sit in the corner (I'll do it.) If I (have) to guard the best player, I'll do whatever is asked of me. 'Knowing I'm that vet – I'm one of the vets on the team — I'll do whatever is asked of me.'
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch: Incoming KU basketball guard Darryn Peterson drills go-ahead shot at Nationals
Prolific Prep guard Darryn Peterson (24) shoots a free throw during the second half of the Grind Session High School Basketball World Championships against DME Academy at Coffin Sports Complex Kansas, on Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Lawrence. Future Kansas basketball guard Darryn Peterson, the co-MVP of Tuesday night's McDonald's All-America game in Brooklyn, New York, two days later was instrumental in leading Prolific Prep (California) to a victory in the quarterfinals of the 16th-annual Chipotle Nationals in Fishers, Indiana. The 6-foot-5 native of Canton, Ohio, scored 28 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists in No. 6 seed Prolific Prep's 81-80 overtime victory over No. 3 seed Long Island (New York) Lutheran at Hamilton Southeastern High School. Advertisement 'It's almost normal. That stuff all comes with it,' Peterson told Jason Jordan of ESPN in referring to a hectic travel schedule. Peterson is ranked No. 2 in the recruiting Class of 2025 according to ESPN. 'It's been pretty crazy over the last couple of days. McDonald's was nonstop just with intense practices and a lot of different things they had us doing, then I came straight here and had practice,' Peterson added, speaking after the victory. 'I tried to sleep the rest of the day to be ready for today. I usually have at least some time to rest in between, but it's just been nonstop.' Peterson, the first high school athlete to sign an NIL deal with Adidas, scored 10 points in the fourth quarter of a close game. Advertisement 'I just love the game, everything about it,' Peterson told ESPN. 'I just focus on the task at hand. I don't think about anything but what I'm doing right now. I don't think about next year or the future or anything like that. I was only focused on this game today. This game requires extreme focus. I feel I've got to do that every night to be in my zone and get wins.' After missing his first six 3s, he drilled a deep 3 with 6.5 seconds left in regulation and his team down by one. The New York team was able to hit two late free throws and force overtime. Prolific Prep won the OT 13-7. 'My coaches joked to me that that was the only 3 I made all game,' said Peterson, who scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter. He has averaged 32.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game this season. Advertisement 'I wouldn't even know that because I shot it like I've been making them all night. That's the thing for me. This game requires extreme focus. It's been a crazy week and crazy couple of days. But I don't want to lose so I'm putting everything into winning Chipotle Nationals,' he added. Of Peterson's performance, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report and NBA TV/Turner wrote: 'The creativity, pacing, counters, shotmaking, athletic finishes, demeanor — just off the charts sharp and advanced. Best prospect in high school basketball.' Prolific Prep (35-5) advanced to meet Dynamic Prep (Texas) in Friday's semifinals (1:30 p.m. Central, ESPN2). Dynamic Prep defeated Link Academy (Missouri) 74-55 in the quarterfinals. Advertisement Prolific Prep (California) (34-5) is making its fifth appearance at Chipotle Nationals and is seeking its first national title in school history. According to the Chipotle Nationals website: 'The National High School Invitational (NHSI) was created in 2009 by Paragon Marketing Group to provide a platform for the top, nationally ranked high school basketball teams in the country to compete against one another in a season-ending tournament. 'Over the course of 15 years, this event (previously titled DICK'S Nationals and GEICO Nationals, taking place in Washington D.C., New York, Florida) has crowned the best high school basketball teams in the country. In 2024, the event moved to Indiana and became the Chipotle High School Basketball Nationals.'
