Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson makes draft decision ahead of deadline

Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson announced on social media that he is declaring for the 2026 NBA draft ahead of the early entry deadline on Friday.

Peterson was a second-team All-Big 12 selection, averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 38.2% from 3-point range. He led the team in scoring, ranking fourth among all players in the conference.

The 6-foot-6 guard finished with the highest-scoring average in program history by a freshman, while also ranking third in free-throw percentage (82.6), fourth in free throws (109) and sixth in 3-pointers (63). He was also named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team.

Peterson is in the conversation to be the No. 1 pick on June 23 because of his innate scoring ability, creation and explosiveness with the ball in his hands. He is also highly regarded as a player who can generate paint touches and get to the free-throw line.

The 19-year-old was limited to 24 games due to various health reasons, including cramping and hamstring and ankle injuries. Teams will certainly question those issues, but they're not considered serious and shouldn't affect his draft stock.

Peterson is a part of a highly touted draft class with the likes of Darius Acuff Jr., Cameron Boozer, Mikel Brown Jr., AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson projected to be high selections. The group is considered one of the most talented in recent memory.

This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Kansas news: Darryn Peterson makes draft decision ahead of deadline