Bill Self, Darryn Peterson star in new video promoting 41st Late Night in the Phog
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- Bill Self and Darryn Peterson star in KU’s Late Night in the Phog promo video.
- Video highlights Peterson’s work ethic, gym presence and off-court humor.
- Peterson enters 2025 season as projected top NBA Draft pick for 2026.
Kansas’ Hall of Fame basketball coach, Bill Self, and expected one-and-done point guard sensation Darryn Peterson are the stars of the first video hyping the upcoming Late Night in the Phog, set for 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 in Allen Fieldhouse.
The 1-minute, 34-second skit debuted on the KU basketball X account on Monday night under the headline “Party at DP’s crib. Late Night. October 17.” It opened with 23rd-year KU coach Self tackling some paperwork at 7:05 a.m. Monday in his fieldhouse office.
“Hey coach, thoughts on this Darren kid?” an early-morning visitor asked Self. After placing his pen on his desk, Self looked at his guest and said: “Darryn Peterson is a great kid. You know, to be as talented as he is, I don’t know (if) I’ve ever been around anybody that works harder and he’s always in the gym.”
The video then turned to comedy.
Peterson, last year’s Naismith Trophy Boys High School Player of the Year, was ranked No. 1 in the recruiting class of 2025 by 247Sports and On3. He was shown sleeping in the north-end student section of Allen Fieldhouse covered by a blanket. The implication, of course, was that newcomer Peterson pretty much lives 24/7 in KU’s tradition-rich building.
“They say the best leaders are first one in, last one out,” Self continued in the video. “I don’t know if I’m ever here without him being in the gym.”
After some more acting by Peterson showing him getting his day started in the fieldhouse, Self stated: “This guy takes nutrition as serious as anyone. Some people are just smoother and make everything look easy. Anything he touches, anything he tries, he’s good at.”
The video, spoiler alert, then shows Peterson tackling some non-basketball-related activities for the first time.
Self continued: “Some people come to the gym and really don’t get much done. When he’s here he’s always working.”
What follows was some more comedy involving Peterson “working” in the fieldhouse.
The video concluded with the words: “This is Late Night.”
The 41st annual Late Night will, of course, mark Peterson’s official debut in front of KU fans. Also, it’ll mark the debut of five-star KU women’s basketball player Jaliya Davis of Blue Valley North, one of the top prospects in the recruiting class of 2025.
Peterson, a 6-foot-6, 205-pound native of Canton, Ohio, is currently listed as ESPN’s choice for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo in their latest mock draft have Peterson edging BYU’s A.J. Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Tennessee’s Nate Ament for the No. 1 overall spot.
ESPN’s Dick Vitale, who sees Peterson as “a future top-3 draft pick,” includes the KU freshman on his list of “Diaper Dandies.”
Other preseason hype has included a possible 2028 U.S. Olympic mention for the KU freshman.
This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Bill Self, Darryn Peterson star in new video promoting 41st Late Night in the Phog."
