Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (22) roars after an and-one bucket against TCU during the second half, Thursday, March 12, 2026, at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. Photo by Nick Krug

Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson received an honorable mention from The Associated Press in its All-American selections, voted on by a panel of media members.

An honorable mention means that Peterson was one of the next 10 players (and ties) selected after the AP filled its first, second and third teams with five players each.

Peterson, a candidate for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has had a tumultuous season since his arrival on campus as what head coach Bill Self called the best player he has ever recruited. The guard from Canton, Ohio, displayed his preternatural scoring ability beginning with the opening days of the season, but recurring issues with cramping forced him to leave numerous games early and miss some altogether; he has also dealt with hamstring and ankle injuries as well as illness at various points over the course of the year. The result has been persistent criticism from fans and national media members of his inconsistent availability.

However, Peterson has now played seven straight games essentially in full without incident, bringing his total number of appearances on the year to 22 of KU’s 33 games. He is averaging 19.8 points on 44.2% shooting, as well as 38.4% from deep, with 4.4 rebounds in just 28.4 minutes per game.

The way in which he has scored has changed as he has become healthier and therefore more comfortable driving to the basket. He is finishing around the rim and getting to the line more as opposed to settling for jump shots — which, granted, he has made quite a few of as he has at least three 3-pointers in half his games this year.

Some of his top performances this year include a season-best 32 points against TCU, when he fought through cramps to draw a foul beyond the arc in the final moments of regulation and made all three free throws to send the game to overtime; 26 points in 23 minutes against Baylor; 18 points, including a dunk over two BYU players, in 20 minutes facing off against fellow top draft prospect and rival AJ Dybantsa; an otherwise unremarkable game at Texas Tech in which he hit the game-tying and go-ahead 3s in rapid succession within the final two minutes; and six 3-pointers in just 18 minutes at Oklahoma State.

How Peterson is ultimately remembered by Jayhawk fans, however, will depend largely on what he accomplishes in the days and potentially weeks ahead. No. 4 seed KU will begin its tournament run on Friday at 8:45 p.m. against No. 13 Cal Baptist.