The Kansas basketball team had an easy time dispatching Green Bay on Monday. The Jayhawks steamrolled the Phoenix, 94-51, in what was little more than another exhibition game for KU.
Still, it was a chance for everyone to play, and a lot of people scored. Of the 15 players who saw action, 12 scored. Flory Bidunga paced the Jayhawks, scoring 23, while Darryn Peterson added 21 in just 22 minutes.
It was the freshman Peterson that caught the attention of Green Bay head coach and former Oklahoma State player Doug Gottlieb.
Can Kansas basketball star Darryn Peterson be the next Kobe Bryant?
Gottlieb, who has been a player, analyst, and podcaster for many years before taking on the mantle of head coach. He’s been around the sport a long time.
When Kevin O’Connor, a Yahoo Sports writer and podcaster, tweeted on X that Peterson is a “do-it-all star, Gottlieb responded with some high praise for the Kansas first-year player.
Gottlieb said that Peterson was the “closest to Kobe as I’ve ever seen. Kid is awesome.”
That is a mouthful and sets an incredibly high mark!
While it is nice to see someone with the basketball knowledge that Gottlieb has appreciate Peterson, the statement is quite hyperbolic. The game against Gottlieb’s Green Bay team was Peterson first official game at the college level, and the fact is the competition wasn’t very good.
Peterson has been dealing with cramping issues over the past few weeks. It limited his minutes in the exhibition game against Louisville and Monday’s game against Green Bay. He didn’t even play in the second KU exhibition versus Fort Hays State. Fans still haven't seen Peterson go at 100 percent.
Comparing him to Kobe Bryant after 22 minutes of college court time is incredibly unfair to Peterson. Let the kid be a kid and enjoy his college experience. Throwing around names like Bryant's when talking about Peterson can put a lot of unnecessary pressure on the young man.
Of course, it is hard not to notice Peterson when he is on the court. Your eyes will find him easily, as he has undoubtedly been the best player in all three games we’ve seen so far.
The first real test will come when KU faces North Carolina on Friday in Kansas’ first trip ever to Chapel Hill. The Jayhawks also have Duke, UConn, North Carolina State, Missouri, Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Princeton on the schedule. That doesn't even count the rough and tumble Big 12 slate of games. Peterson will have plenty of time to showcase what he can do. Hopefully, he will be completely healthy against the Tar Heels.
Whether or not he is the next Kobe Bryant won’t be determined until far into the future, but it is nice to see others recognize how promising the youngster is.
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