Kansas vs Louisville Exhibition To Feature Two Star-Studded Freshmen

The No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks and No. 11 Louisville Cardinals are set to face off in an open scrimmage this Friday at the KFC Yum! Center.

While the contest will not count toward either team's record, it will serve as an early-season test for two young, talented squads with high expectations.

The headline matchup of the night will be the highly anticipated battle between two elite freshmen — Darryn Peterson for Kansas and Mikel Brown Jr. for Louisville — both expected to be the focal points of their respective programs this season.

Both players are incredible prospects with bright futures ahead of them, and Friday's scrimmage will mark their first collegiate action, even if it is unofficial.

But interestingly, this won't be the first time Peterson and Brown have gone head-to-head against each other. The two met last season in high school when Peterson's Prolific Prep squad faced Brown and DME Academy in Florida.

Peterson came out on top, putting on a show with 39 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and a pair of blocks in a 89-81 victory. Brown had a strong outing of his own, finishing with 29 points and dishing out eight assists.

Peterson and Brown are dynamic lead guards capable of taking over a game in different ways. Brown functions more as a traditional point guard by controlling the tempo, thriving as a pick-and-roll ball handler, and facilitating for his teammates.

"Bucket Jones" on the other hand is an elite scorer who also makes his team better. At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-10.5 wingspan, he is a tough cover for any defender and has the physical tools to be an elite defender as well, which Bill Self's coaching should certainly contribute to.

Recently announced as the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year, Peterson is expected to be one of the most electrifying scorers in the country from Day 1.

However, he will be tasked with leading a KU squad that is coming off consecutive down years and lost most of its production from last year to graduation or the transfer portal.

There have been questions about whether Peterson's supporting cast will be potent enough to pick him up on his off games. The Jayhawks brought in a number of talented newcomers this offseason, but very few have produced at higher levels of competition.

Regardless, this game should be fun for fans of both sides and will give everyone a glimpse of what to expect from the two freshman phenoms. You can tune in at 6:30 p.m. CT this Friday on ACC Network

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