There aren’t many prospects in high school basketball with higher upsides than Darryn Peterson. The 6-foot-5 guard is the No. 3 prospect in the 2025 class and recently trimmed a near-endless list of scholarship offers to include Kentucky, Ohio State, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Arkansas, Michigan and Baylor. It certainly doesn't feel as if they all stand on equal footing, however.
Today, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy breaks down Peterson’s finalists and attempts to handicap the race to land the five-star's pledge.
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: Kansas
Shoe company affiliations certainly aren’t everything, but it would be beyond naive to pretend that Kansas’ standing as one of just two adidas schools on Peterson’s list of finalists isn’t a major factor. This isn't just a case of a prospect playing his grassroots ball on the adidas circuit, either. Back in November, the five-star guard made history by becoming the first ever high school athlete to sign an NIL deal with adidas. The multi-year deal made national headlines and locked the Huntington (W.Va.) Prep star into being an “adidas athlete” from an early age.
Does that mean Peterson is locked into attending KU? Of course not, but Bill Self has had overwhelming success recruiting top players on the adidas circuit in the past, the most recent high-profile situation coming when Self and the Jayhawks snatched 3SSB star Flory Bindunga away from Duke and Auburn at the last second just a handful of months ago. The shoe company would never outright call KU its “flagship school” … at least not publicly, but there are years of recruiting data that make saying such a thing out loud unnecessary.
It’s still early, sure, and the situation isn’t the final word on Peterson’s recruitment, but pretending corporate synergy isn’t a major factor worth pointing out, especially in this situation, would be burying your head in the sand.
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THE OTHER REAL PLAYERS: Kentucky and North Carolina
Jordan-sponsored North Carolina extracted five-star guard Ian Jackson from the adidas 3SSB circuit last cycle and the Tar Heels feel like they have a chance to repeat such a feat with Peterson this year, as head coach Hubert Davis is heading up the five-star’s recruitment himself.
Meanwhile, Kentucky seems to have prioritized Peterson to the same degree as North Carolina, and Wildcat coaches John Calipari and Chin Coleman were courtside to watch Peterson for a game at a Kentucky high school over the weekend. The long parade of guards that has marched directly from Lexington to the NBA will be a factor here. Both the Wildcats and Tar Heels should, at least for the time being, be treated as major factors with the ability to win this battle down the stretch.
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TECHNICALLY ALIVE: Baylor, Arkansas and Ohio State
Technically, the Buckeyes, Bears and Razorbacks are alive in the race to secure Peterson’s letter of intent. Peterson has already toured Ohio State and seems open to visiting both Waco and Fayetteville down the road. There’s no reason to totally rule any of the three schools out at this point, but there’s also no reason to believe they’re major threats … at least not at this moment.
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NOT GOING TO HAPPEN: Michigan and Indiana
Michigan seems especially unlikely given the direction in which things seem to be trending in Ann Arbor. Peterson has taken an unofficial visit to Michigan, but it’s difficult to imagine something Juwan Howard could offer him that he couldn’t also find in a more stable situation elsewhere at this point.
Indiana’s standing as an adidas school should be noted, but Kansas seems like the much more likely destination should that become a major factor in his decision.
