By Reese Merritt
@reesemerritt_
Prolific Prep’s Darryn Peterson left no stones unturned, giving it his all to generate a few more points for his team.
The Hoophall Classic’s final game of Day 4 dwindled in remaining time for both Prolific Prep and Highland School – Prolific Prep leading 57-56 with a nail-biting 37 seconds left. But, Nate Ament, the No. 4 recruit from ESPN’s Top 100 Recruits from the Class of 2025, was looking to regain that lead as he stood at the free throw line and was granted two shots. Ament did just that, calmly sinking both attempts. And with every given effort of Peterson’s to eliminate that minute, yet game deciding deficit, no foul committed could turn back the clock.
Prolific Prep loss 61-57. But that doesn’t serve Peterson nearly enough justice.
Peterson showcased a masterclass of what it means to be a versatile player. He was the first player in this year’s Hoophall Classic to score more than 30 points in a single game with 31, failing to miss a single free throw. On defense, he comfortably worked as a multi-positional defender, relying on his spot on instincts and 6-foot-10 wingspan.
The 6-foot-6 guard even silenced Highland’s third quarter “defense” chants when he swiped the ball away from point guard Jeremiah Gorham’s backcourt throw-in. He turned toward the opposing hoop, only to end the full court sprint in a loud dunk, quieting the Hawks.
In Ament’s first ever encounter with Peterson, he acknowledged Peterson’s exemplary skills.
“He got me with a couple of buckets,” Ament said. “He’s fast, he’s quick, he can shoot. I mean [that’s] stereotypical NBA players, so going against someone like that, you can only get better. That’s so great for my development as a player.”
This duel between Peterson, the newly released No. 2 recruit, and Ament occurred just down the street from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Blake Arena. Yet, Peterson’s journey began in the same location as the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Canton, Ohio.
In his hometown of Canton, Peterson trained with his father, Darryl Peterson II, a former guard for the University of Akron’s men’s basketball team. These father-son training sessions were grueling and lasted for hours.
“He was super, super hard on me growing up, and obviously it paid off,” Peterson said. “I think we see the game in a similar way. We just relate in a different way than other trainers.”
Without a doubt, the hard work did pay off. The efficient scorer’s talents were recognized, especially when the NCAA policy change on name, image and likeness (NIL) came about in June of 2021. The advent allowed student athletes to profit from their personal brand, which was not exclusive to collegiate athletes as it also applied to high school athletics.
In the morning of November 24, 2023, Adidas Basketball announced its NIL deal with Peterson, making him the first high school athlete to sign an NIL deal with Adidas when he was at Huntington Prep School. Only weeks later, Peterson would sign a multi-year endorsement deal with Fanatics, a digital sports platform, consisting of a variety of businesses including licensed sports merchandise and trading cards and collectibles. This very deal made Peterson the youngest athlete to sign a deal with a trading card company.
“It’s a blessing for them to choose me and trusting me to bring stuff in with Adidas,” Peterson said. “It’s a worldwide brand and they chose me to be an NIL athlete. So, it’s a milestone that I’m proud of.”
And just under a year following his NIL deals with Fanatics and Adidas, November proved to be a milestone setting month for the Canton native. In November of 2024, Peterson announced his commitment to the University of Kansas.
With his commitment, Kansas men’s basketball head coach Bill Self said Peterson is “the best recruit” he has recruited at Kansas. The rare physical abilities are a given, but as a bonus, Kansas has landed a highly regarded leader and hard worker Prolific Prep head coach Ryan Bernardi approves of.
“He’s an unbelievable person,” Bernardi said. “He’s very mature, he’s a great leader, who’s an extremely hard worker. It’s great to be around him on a day to day basis.”
Peterson represents the forever evolving influence young athletes can have. The influence he has on companies, on his team, on other teams, and on his coaches.