Darryn Peterson includes Kentucky in list cut, planning official visit ahead of fall commitment

Mark Pope is still looking for his first blue-chip high school commitment, swinging for the fences on the best of the best in 2025 in hopes of securing a big fish or two. Darryn Peterson is among them as the top shooting guard in the rising senior class, and Kentucky will remain in the conversation going into the fall.

The No. 3 overall prospect in 2025 is down to eight schools, with Arizona State, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, USC, and Washington all making the cut, On3’s Joe Tipton announced Wednesday. All eight will receive visits before a commitment is made this fall ahead of the early signing period in November.

Peterson will visit USC first on August 1, followed by a trip to Ohio State on August 30. Those are the officials he’s gotten finalized, while also tentatively planning visits to Kansas State in August, Arizona State and Washington in September and Louisville and Kentucky in October.

He previously took officials to Kansas and Kentucky, the latter being with the previous coaching staff.

“The campus wasn’t all that great, but the facilities and where the gym was at was great. They got everything,” Peterson previously told On3. “I feel like I can go there and get better, and that is the main thing. Even if Cal isn’t there, Kentucky is still Kentucky. Coach (Mark) Pope is still a great coach.”

The Wildcats are currently pursuing the likes of AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, Chris Cenac, Nate Ament, Mikel Brown Jr., Brayden Burries, Tounde Yessoufou, Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno and Braylon Mullins among other top-30 prospects in the class of 2025.

How many can Pope land from that bunch? That’s the big question entering his first season with the Wildcats.

Peterson wouldn’t be a bad way to start.