Top 3 basketball prospect in recruiting class of 2025 has KU, K-State on final list

Darryn Peterson, the country’s consensus No. 3-ranked basketball player in the recruiting class of 2025, has narrowed his list of schools to eight: Kansas, Kansas State, Ohio State, Kentucky, Louisville, USC, Washington and Arizona State.

Peterson, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound senior combo guard from Huntington Prep in West Virginia, has already visited KU and Kentucky. He was scheduled to begin an official visit to USC on Thursday, then travel to Ohio State on Aug. 30.

He said he’ll visit K-State in August, Arizona State and Washington in September and Louisville and Kentucky in October. He first visited Lawrence when he was in eighth grade and made an official visit to KU in June.

A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Peterson is ranked third nationally by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com.

At one point the Phenom United of Ohio AAU player also considered Alabama, Arkansas, Cincinnati, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

Of KU coach Bill Self, he told Rivals.com: “That’s my guy. He’s been watching me since freshman year. He just tells me to keep getting better and that they want me. They feel like Kansas is the best place for me. I like how they run their sets. I like a coach that runs sets but doesn’t over-coach. He has sets that they put in, but he lets his guards figure it out in crunch time.”

Peterson is the first high school athlete to sign a deal with Adidas. Last November, he signed a multi-year NIL contract with the apparel company.

Small forward from Connecticut to visit KU

London Jemison, a 6-foot-8, 170-pound senior small forward from St. Thomas More High School in West Hartford, Connecticut, will make a campus visit to Kansas on Aug. 29-31, Zagsblog.com has reported. The Star has confirmed the dates of that upcoming visit.

Jemison — he played well for Expressions Elite AAU at the recent Peach Jam event — will also visit fellow finalists Vanderbilt (Aug. 23-25), Alabama (Sept. 6-9), Louisville (Sept. 13-15) and Virginia (Sept. 27-29). Syracuse is also on his final list of six.

Jemison was offered a scholarship by KU on July 18, he reported on social media site X.

“I’d say the coaching staff has done a good job recruiting me. Play style-wise, they’ve always had good big wings in the past and see me as a pro-style wing who can push the ball and shoot it,” Jemison told Zagsblog.com.

He is ranked No. 48 in the class of 2025 according to ESPN.com; No. 51 by Rivals.com and No. 94 by 247Sports.com.

Combo guard Isaiah Denis lists KU

Isaiah Denis, a 6-foot-5, 170-pound combo guard from Davidson (North Carolina) High School, has narrowed his list to 10 schools, On3.com reports. The schools are: KU, Cincinnati, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Wake Forest.

“Isaiah Denis is a big combo guard standing 6-5 with a lean frame and plus-athleticism. His biggest strength on the court at this stage lies in his ability to make shots from 3 both off the catch and bounce but is also capable of creating off the dribble and finishing above the rim,” reads the evaluation of Denis at 247Sports.com.

“Denis shot 36% from three during the EYBL season but also has shown flashes of upside as a playmaker and facilitator. At this stage, Denis is best-suited playing off the ball given his shot-making but with the feel and vision he has shown as a passer, he has upside to become a more versatile and true combo guard as he continues to develop his handle.”

He is ranked No. 41 in the recruiting class of 2025 by 247Sports.com, No. 94 by ESPN.com and No. 100 by Rivals.com.