Late Friday night, one of the nation’s top college basketball freshmen made his debut in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Canton native Darryn Peterson and his Kansas teammates are playing Cal Baptist in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in San Diego.
A 6-foot-6 freshman guard, Peterson helped Kansas earn a No. 4 seed in the East Region of March Madness. Cal Baptist is a No. 13 seed.
Kansas leads 64-49 entering the final seven minutes of the second half. Peterson heated up late in the first half and opened the second half well. Here is a look at how he is doing in the game, which is airing on CBS.
How many points did Darryn Peterson score?
Here is a look at Peterson’s stats with just under seven minutes left in the game. He was the lone player to score in double figures in the first half.
- Points: 26
- Field Goals: 10-of-22
- 3-Point: 4-for-11
- Free Throws: 2-for-2
- Rebounds: 1
- Assists: 0
- Steals: 2
- Blocks: 0
- Minutes: 30
Darryn Peterson stats this season
Peterson entering the NCAA Tournament having started 21 of the 22 Kansas games in which he has appeared. He entered Friday averaging 19.8 points on 44.2% shooting from the field (38.4% on 3-pointers), 4.4 rebounds 1.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 28.4 minutes.
A former Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy star, Peterson is widely projected to become either the first or second overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft despite being under scrutiny this season for missing time with injuries and removing himself from some games.
Darryn Peterson’s journey from Canton to Kansas basketball
Peterson played at CVCA as a freshman and sophomore. He averaged 31 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 assists in his final season of Ohio high school hoops. Then Peterson played at Huntington Prep in West Virginia as a junior and Prolific Prep in California’s Napa Valley as a senior.
Peterson became the first high school athlete to sign an NIL deal with Adidas after he left CVCA. He also received a trading card deal with Fanatics shortly thereafter. In the past year, he has risen to the national spotlight as one of the most coveted prospects in a highly touted NBA draft class.
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Darryn Peterson points, stats vs Cal Baptist in 1st March Madness game