Pros: Great 3-level scorer, very comfortable scoring with the ball in his hands, good strong handle, makes his moves very quick, off ball movement is a net positive, handles double teams well, applies a ton of downhill pressure, great body control, creates and absorbs contact at a high level, has a very soft touch on his shots and around the rim, everyone around him talks about a very strong work ethic Cons: Playmaking is out of necessity not necessarily out of skill, passes are very reactive, more often than not settles for tougher jumpers rather than making the more simple play, I don't really question his ability to play games, but I do question his ability to play for long stretches of time within games, which could possibly limit him to a bench role early in his career when talent-wise he's above that role, good but not great athlete Ceiling: Devin Booker / Prime Bradley Beal Floor: Young OJ Mayo / 2007-08 Brandon Roy

If the medicals clear, I think he's all-NBA

Peterson's game is very polished to me. He very rarely seems sped up to me; he always looks calm and poised. The comparisons I have made about him have been a young Brad Beal, Kawhi Leonard, and Ant. His jumper is pretty and is a true three level scorer. I think he will be a serviceable to a good defender at his floor because of his 6'10 wingspan and 6'6 frame. He has gotten knocked for speculation about if he loves basketball, which is the same stuff that Ant went through coming out of Georgia, and doesn't really worry me. You don't get that good unless you truly love the sport. I'm not too worried about his cramps, but do think it is important that his team is careful about it in year one for Peterson. I think that he is a truly generational talent and will be a great player for years and years in this league.

Positives Insane shot creating and making Generates a high amount of Stocks High level player on and off ball on both offense and defense Negatives Injury concerns Low assist rate (Kansas supporting cast SUCKED) Darryn Peterson is the most skilled shotmaker the NCAA has seen in a long time. Peterson is the definition of a 3 level scorer, he’s insane in the mid-range and does most of his scoring from there. He’s a good spot up 3 point shooter and shoots most of his 3’s off the catch. Darryn is a very solid passer, he makes the correct reads most of the time and uses his scoring presence to help him as a play-maker. Peterson is excellent at jumping to pass, he very rarely gets stuck in the air and oftentimes even changes his target in midair to make a pass. Darryn is an awesome defender. He’s a great defensive playmaker and gives a lot of effort defensively even with his offensive load in consideration. He is an unbelievable Stocks creator whether it’s blocking shots or getting steals.

Peterson's game is very polished to me. He very rarely seems sped up to me; he always looks calm and poised. The comparisons I have made about him have been a young Brad Beal, Kawhi Leonard, and Ant. His jumper is pretty and is a true three level scorer. I think he will be a serviceable to a good defender at his floor because of his 6'10 wingspan and 6'6 frame. He has gotten knocked for speculation about if he loves basketball, which is the same stuff that Ant went through coming out of Georgia, and doesn't really worry me. You don't get that good unless you truly love the sport. I'm not too worried about his cramps, but do think it is important that his team is careful about it in year one for Peterson. I think that he is a truly generational talent and will be a great player for years and years in this league.

Walking bucket. True three level scorer. Feel for the game is elite. High IQ player offensively with the ball in his hands. Leverages what the defense gives him and manipulates them effectively. Good, but not a great athlete. Didn't show elite burst going downhill as a driver this year. Some think that may have been because of injury. Time will tell on that. Even if he's only a slightly above average athlete, his shot making at all three levels and feel for the game will make him an elite scorer. Think he's a 25+ PPG scorer, almost annually in the NBA. Beautiful jumper. No weak point on the floor scoring wise. Had an even A/TO ratio. Think that will improve given his elite ball control and touch handling and shooting, especially with more space in the NBA. A lot of what he did this year was off screens and curls. NBA will be more pick and roll. Also didn't have the best supporting cast this year. Should be a decent defender as well.

Scores with the best of them, one of the best three-level scores in the class. Plays well with the ball in his hands with a strong shot and athleticism at the rim. Not awful defensively.

I'm getting lower and lower on DP. Undeniable scoring talent in touch, but cannot get a paint touch for his life and his passing process hasn't been the best either. At best you can project them to be a decent tertiary connector, right? An ancillary offensive piece unless he takes an unprecedented exponential leap in tough shot making, which is the diet of which all of his game to this point. Right the passing question marks are supplemented by his poor assistant turnover ratio. Even with the injury concerns and people comparing him to his priors in high school, he was never a next gen athlete, right? The leap in athleticism from high school, even in the national competition, is still a decent leap and as an offensive player to be the number one option if you can't generate paint touches or collapse defenses, you don't have any heliocentric playmaking attributes. You just can't succeed or be efficient as a 1 on a shot diet of tough twos and a three-point rate. Can be great supporting piece though.

Ridiculous touch as a jump shooter. The rim is wider for him than the other 9 guys on the court at all times. No doubt an NBA level first option scorer. My doubts around him rest on the fact modern NBA does not value 30+PPG scorers the way it used to. He is not a point guard. Current elite two guards in the NBA: Ant, Donovan, Booker. All three have spent significant time as de facto Point Guards. I dont think Peterson can do that. Is he worth the #1 pick if he’s Bradley Beal? Comps: Booker at 95%, Beal at 75%, JR Smith at 50%. I am confident he will be a very elite scorer for a very long time, I am less sold on him being an MVP level contributor. Still clearly top 3

Tier 3

Combo guard, big time shot maker. Priors point to someone being able to be a primary initiator at the next level, but have lingering lower body injuries sapped that athletic juice to create consistent paint touches? Great passing and playmaking priors, though handle looks average at this time. If he can revert back to pre-college burst and athleticism, then he is a one of one guard prospect. Shooting has exceeded expectations, super encouraging that he has shown the ability to play off ball, shoot off movement, and fit in already. Defensively, he is instinctual as an off-ball defender and rim protector. Uses frame and movement very well. Advanced as a defender for someone of his pedigree/role. Best college guard prospect in a long time.

PHYSICAL - Is decently quick - Is a strong athlete with a good first step SKILLS - Looks very in control on offense - Can create space for himself on ball - Tight handle SHOOTING - Gets to his spots at will - Rises up well in his jumper - Has a quick release - High release point - Can shoot on and off ball - Can shoot from anywhere - Is elite at coming off movement and screens - Is on the move a lot off ball and positions himself very well FINISHING - Finishes through contact and in varied ways - Can play above the rim PASSING - Can pocket/dump/kick out pass - Has solid vision and okay processing - Kind of makes basic reads DEFENSE - Defensively he uses his athleticism well to block shots - Most blocks are from behind or to the side because he has been beaten already - Has poor positioning - Uses strength well - Is found gambling too much

Best guard prospect I have ever seen. The effortless shot making/creation, the playmaking reads, the 3 level scoring

He is a insane bucket-getter and he reminds me of Shai. He's not very explosive, but he makes up with his creativity with the ball. He has great defensive awareness, and reads the defense like a book. Although he's not insanely big and physical, he definitely can body a guard and can iso proficiently.

The most polished shotmaking prospect I’ve seen at his size and age. Elite movement shooter. Catches the ball with his feet already set. Can make any type of 3 or long 2 available to him. Elite floater even if he uses it a bit too much. Super high level finisher with both hands when he wants to be one. Capable passer but probably more of a 2 guard due to off ball proficiency. Good not great athlete although injuries have probably slowed him down a bit. Incredible positional size and length. Versatile defender even if he is maybe a tad overrated on the ball defensively. Great hands and is super active in passing lanes. Tends to be more of a gunner who fires up perimeter jumpers and attacks defenses in transition rather than a deliberate halfcourt assassin. Against a set defense Peterson is mostly trying to get space for a three or come off a pin down and get to the elbow.

This is my first eval on Peterson but my initial eval on Peterson was a GOAT shooting guard prospect, as a lot of people have. I am concerned that it's been a couple months and I know he had an injury to start off the season but that explosiveness and rim pressure still isn't at the level that I think it should be for a top prospect. His value for me is predicated almost nearly 100% on his absolutely insane shot making, both difficult and more rhythm shots. Unlike other prospects, unlike general thesis, this will translate to some degree as his feel for the game is just at that elite level. The way he navigates pick and rolls, even though he does have this hang dribble off the hard hedge. The way he gets to his spots. He's a pure bucket, Thick Cam Thomas, but with more potential to play make. We'll continue to closely monitor him as the games go on. He has smart hands but I really want to see more athleticism from him. I really want to see him gather his spirit. Him missing games means absolutely nothing to me. Absolutely nothing. It's him playing games if he's clearly not 100%. I think my initial ranking of this guy, before I made an official one, was a GOAT prospect. I'm happy that I didn't actually put that down on CourtShare. I don't think he's anywhere near a GOAT prospect anymore. He's still probably top three.

Ceiling Best Guard In The League

Absolutely one of the most incredible guard prospects I have ever seen. High-level defender that I am confident in being a great poa at the NBA level because of his ability to flip his hips, paired with his elite hands, and is capable of protecting the rim as a guard due to his explosive verticality. An elite offensive player who has made scoring look way too easy at the college level. Has the scoring feel that I have not seen from any prospect in this class, with elite touch around the rim that can finish at damn near any angle on the court. Crazy good handle and explosive speed, not a Ja Morant or Jalen Green level vertical athlete, but still has insane ability to decelerate. Great shooter and space creator due to his short, quick moves and ability to stop on a dime and pull up from anywhere. Injuries are a concern at this point, as he only played one half against BYU as I am writing this, but he will benefit when he adds strength and fills out his body more. Legit primary ball-handler 1st option, perennial all-nba potential who will be a STOCK machine at the next level. Simply on a different level than the other guys in this class, and is the SLAM DUNK #1 pick in the 2026 draft class.