Kansas Jayhawks shooting guard Darryn Peterson and BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa are expected to be the top two draft picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. The race to be the number one draft pick is between these two.
Both players have credible reasons to be the top draft pick. They’re neck to neck as far as their numbers and production in this season are concerned, and their respective teams are running close to each other as well.
The Jayhawks and the Cougars had a game earlier today. This particular matchup was dominated by the Jayhawks, winning the game 90-82 after a strong 53-33 first-half finish. Overall, the Cougars have a better record with 17 wins compared to the Jayhawks 16.
As for Peterson and Dybantsa, the Cougars forward is averaging 23.6 points while shooting 53% from the field, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Peterson is averaging 21.6 points while shooting nearly 50% from the field with 4.6 rebounds per game this season.
As per a recent report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Peterson has an edge over Dybala to be the number one draft pick. ESPN recently polled 20 NBA scouts, and Peterson came out as a favorite among them.
“It’s Darryn Peterson for me,” a veteran scout told ESPN. “He makes things look so effortless, it’s unbelievable. His shotmaking is unmatched. He’s the closest thing to Kobe Bryant I’ve seen since Kobe in terms of shotmaking and ability to create his own shot. He’s not the same athlete as Kobe, but no one is. He’s really special.”
Despite Peterson being the favorite as of now, the race is still very close. Most scouts believe it’s a toss-up, and even in cases where Peterson has an edge, he’s 51-49 over Dybantsa.
Darryn Peterson Exited the BYU Game Early
Peterson has been the key to the Jayhawks’ success this season so far. Every time he has done well on the court, his team has won. In his presence, they have only lost three games this season.
Tonight, when the Jayhawks went against the Cougars, Peterson was in form once again. He dropped 18 points in 20 minutes and gave his team a strong start. However, he exited the game early in the second quarter.
Head coach Bill Self stated that Peterson exited the game early because of cramps, and he didn’t return for the rest of the game. The guard has had injury struggles this season. It’ll be interesting to see if the Jayhawks decide to rest him for the Texas Tech game or not.
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