The Kansas Jayhawks will open up their 2025-26 regular-season college basketball schedule with a matchup against the Green Bay Phoenix on Monday night.
This season-opening contest marks the first career game for freshman guard Darryn Peterson: the No. 1 overall recruit in this year’s class.
Peterson, a five-star recruit out of California, chose to join Bill Self’s Kansas team over offers from Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Duke and several other top programs.
On Monday, Peterson was named one of 50 players on the preseason Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List.
Kansas responded to this news with a post on social media.
“On a different level. #EyesOn22,” the team wrote on X. “@Darryn_P1 has been named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List.”
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This marks yet another accolade for Peterson, who’s already been named the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection.
The reigning Naismith Trophy High School Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American has sky-high expectations set out in front of him as he heads into his debut college basketball season.
Peterson made his unofficial college basketball debut in an exhibition game against Louisville on Oct. 24. In that 90-82 win, the freshman phenom scored 26 points — making six 3-point shots. The 6-foot-6 guard also recorded four rebounds and five steals.
Peterson is one of eight freshman on the preseason Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List, joining BYU’s A.J. Dybantsa, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Tennessee’s Nate Ament, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. and Arizona’s Koa Peat.
Kansas’ season-opening matchup against Green Bay will tipoff at 8 p.m. ET. After that, the Jayhawks will turn their attention toward a highly-anticipated matchup against North Carolina.