Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy standout Darryn Peterson was named one of seven finalists for the Mr. Ohio Basketball Award Thursday by the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association.
Peterson, the Principals' Athletic Conference Player of the Year, is a sophomore and if he remains in Ohio has the opportunity to duplicate LeBron James' three consecutive Mr. Basketball awards (2001-03). The last Akron-area player to win the award was St. Vincent-St. Mary's Malaki Branham in 2021 .
"It's definitely a goal of mine to win it," the 6-foot-5 Peterson told the Beacon Journal last month. "I've been working really hard for that. I want to win it for my grandma. It would mean a lot to join that list."
Peterson is coming off a season-ending loss to Cleveland Glenville in a Division II district final Saturday and has been compared to James , including by James' former high school coach Dru Joyce II.
"For one, he can score it from all three levels," Joyce, the St. Vincent-St. Mary coach, said of Peterson recently. "He can shoot it from outside, he has a good midrange and he can finish at the basket. Not everyone can do that and do it at a high level."
Peterson averaged 31.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.7 steals, shot 56% overall and 42% from the 3-point line. He has at least 24 scholarship offers from schools such as Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio State and Michigan, among others. ESPN ranks him the fifth-best player in his class.
Other finalists include Gabe Cupps (Centerville), Jerry Eater II (Toledo Emmanuel Christian), Bede Lori (Caldwell), Devin Royal (Pickerington Central), Luke Skaljac (Brecksville-Broadview Heights) and Dailyn Swain (Columbus Africentric).
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: CVCA standout Darryn Peterson can duplicate LeBron James feat
