Darryn Peterson Puts on a Show: Kansas Freshman Drops 26 in Statement Win Over Baylor
If you didn’t know Darryn Peterson’s name before Friday night, you do now.
The Kansas freshman lit up Allen Fieldhouse with a jaw-dropping 26-point performance in just 23 minutes, leading the Jayhawks to an 80-62 win over Baylor. It wasn’t just the numbers - 11-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-4 from deep - it was how he did it.
Smooth. Confident.
Effortless. The kind of performance that makes you sit up, lean forward, and say, “Wait… how old is this kid again?”
And it wasn’t just the fans taking notice. Former KU standout and current Denver Nugget Christian Braun took to social media to declare, “DP best to ever play at Kansas.” That’s a bold claim at a school where names like Chamberlain, Manning, Pierce, and Collison hang from the rafters - but Peterson’s performance Friday night made it feel at least worth the conversation.
A First-Half Clinic
Peterson came out firing, scoring 20 of his 26 in the first half on 8-of-10 shooting. He added two assists and didn’t turn the ball over once in his 16 first-half minutes. Kansas led 43-37 at the break, and Peterson was the engine.
“He might be the best player I’ve seen in my lifespan of coaching,” said former KU assistant Norm Roberts, who was in the building Friday night and later broke it down on the Field of 68 podcast. That’s not hyperbole. That’s a coach who’s seen NBA talent up close, and still couldn’t believe what he witnessed.
Roberts went on to describe what makes Peterson so dangerous: “Normally you say, ‘Don’t let a guy get to his spot.’ But with him? Everywhere on the floor is his spot.”
It’s true. Peterson hit threes, floaters, midrange jumpers - even a 9-foot baseline fade over a 6-foot-10 defender.
He absorbed contact, finished through it, and made it look like a walk in the park. He played with poise, never forcing the action, and let the game come to him.
And when it did, he was ready - every time.
Quiet Killer
What stood out just as much as the scoring was Peterson’s demeanor. He didn’t flex.
He didn’t chirp. He just played.
“Even when he was heating up and killing, he never talked smack,” said Roberts. “He stayed locked in. That’s a level of maturity you don’t often see in a freshman.”
That maturity, combined with his skillset, has scouts and analysts buzzing. ESPN’s Myron Medcalf didn’t hold back, comparing Peterson’s feel for the game and shot-making to none other than Kevin Durant.
“He gets any shot he wants, when he wants, and it’s always a good shot because he takes it,” Medcalf posted. “Just makes the game look so easy.
Rare for a teenager.”
Draft Buzz Building
Peterson’s stock was already high, but Friday night may have cemented what many around the league already believe - he’s the top prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft class. CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish put it plainly: this game will be remembered not for the rankings or the rivalry, but because it was the night Darryn Peterson went national.
And it wasn’t just the analysts. FOX Sports’ Gus Johnson, never one to hide his excitement, summed it up with his signature flair: “Haha!
Ball. Player.”
Analyst Jim Jackson added, “Some people just move different. That’s what Darryn Peterson has.
He just moves a lot different than a normal freshman.”
The Only Concern: Can He Stay on the Floor?
As electric as Peterson has been, there’s one lingering issue - availability. He’s yet to finish a full game this season and has missed time with a series of minor injuries: a hamstring, a quad, and now, cramping. Against Baylor, he played just seven minutes in the second half and sat the final eight minutes despite being perfect from the field in that stretch (3-for-3 for six points).
Kansas head coach Bill Self addressed the issue postgame, acknowledging the frustration: “DP for 19 minutes was the best player in America,” Self said. “We still haven’t figured it out, though, but hopefully, somehow or another, the light will come on and we can get him playing in the second half. But gosh, he was special there for a while.”
And that’s the thing - when he’s on the floor, there might not be a better player in college basketball. The key now is keeping him there.
The Big Picture
With the win, Kansas moved to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in Big 12 play. Baylor, despite strong nights from NBA prospects Cameron Carr (24 points) and Tounde Yessoufou (20 points), dropped to 11-6 and 1-4 in the conference.
But the real story - the one that will be replayed, retweeted, and remembered - is Darryn Peterson. A freshman who didn’t just rise to the moment, he owned it. And if this is just the beginning, Kansas - and the rest of the country - better buckle up.