An Evaluation of Darryn Peterson's Ambitious NBA Comparisons

This year, Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson has taken the NBA Draft space by storm. While the 19-year-old has been on the scouting radar for years, few expected him to make the college game look quite this effortless so early in his freshman campaign.

Despite battling nagging injuries that have limited his playing time, Peterson has averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on a highly efficient 62.9 TS% while shooting a blistering 42 percent from three. Even with fellow freshmen and projected top three picks Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa emerging as the two leading candidates for the Wooden Award as the NCAA's best men's college basketball player this season, Peterson has remained the -200 favorite to be the NBA Draft's first overall pick this June on major sportsbooks. Simply put, the 6-foot-6 guard is that good. One could argue he's the best collegiate guard prospect since Markelle Fultz in 2017...at least.

This level of play triggers a specific kind of lofty comparison game. The names currently being thrown around are heavy-hitting stars such as Jamal Murray, Devin Booker, and yes, even Kobe Bryant. However, to fully understand Peterson's trajectory as a potential superstar, a line must be drawn between the legend who serves as the most surgical comparison on a precise, play-by-play basis and the benchmark that provides the best developmental framework for his high-end NBA outcomes.

The Playstyle Comparison: Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant comparisons are often applied too liberally in the scouting world, often triggered by any guard capable of hitting occasional turnaround fadeaways from eighteen feet. With Peterson, however, the similarities stretch far beyond a few signature shots. If one were to overlay his highlights with Bryant's, the mechanical and stylistic parallels would be eerily consistent.

On the offensive end, the overlap is striking. Peterson operates with a mid-range release and a 6-foot-10 wingspan that allows him to ignore contests. His game is built on elite footwork, using faints, jab steps, and shoulder bumps to create space. He masterfully blends a quick first step with changes of speed and horizontal leaping ability, showing impressive air time when finishing through contact at the rim.

Even the small details, like the arm band on a similar release, evoke the Bryant aesthetic. He relentlessly hunts mid-range scores, often using his passing ability as a fallback once the defense overcommits to his shot-making. This polish allows him to dominate as a scorer both on-ball and off-ball, rarely appearing rushed or out of rhythm, similar to the approach of the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

Peterson's defensive profile further solidifies the comparison. When Bryant wore #8, he was one of league's very best defensive guards, and Peterson possesses similar athletic traits that enable a similar type of potenial impact. Standing 6-foot-6 with high-level lateral mobility, he has the tools to be an impactful disruptor on the perimeter. The Ohio native is currently averaging 1.7 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game, showcasing an ability to make impactful help-side plays and use his length to clog up passing lanes. This combination of scoring dominance and defensive impact reiterate the

The Developmental Comparison: Anthony Edwards

While the mechanical similarities to Kobe Bryant provide a surgical look at Peterson's playstyle, the NBA has undergone a massive shift since the mid-2000s. The game Bryant dominated was defined by isolation sets and a crowded paint that made difficult shot-making the ultimate differentiator on offense.

However, following the shift led by Stephen Curry and LeBron James in the 2010s, modern spacing has placed an utmost premium on consistent advantage creation and shrewd passing. This is the standard defined by the league's best players today like Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic. To find the most accurate developmental benchmark for Peterson’s high-end outcomes in this environment, the focus shifts to Anthony Edwards.

The comparison to Edwards is less about a shared aesthetic and more about functional, modern impact. Both are elite all-around scorers who can consistently create downhill advantages and threaten defenses with elite shot-making, which has always been the focus of their offensive impact.

At this stage, Peterson is primarily a score-first guard who often uses his passing as a fallback once his own scoring attempt is foiled. Anthony Edwards, however, is providing the exact blueprint for how a high-usage scoring guard can evolve into a proactive playmaker and maximize the impact of his offensive creartion. By taking advantage of the massive scoring gravity he generates, Edwards has learned to anticipate defensive rotations and create opportunities for his teammates.

This transformation from a bucket-getter into a versatile offensive engine has allowed Edwards to become a consensus top ten player in the NBA. He has maximized his physical tools and improved his mental processing to ensure his offensive creation translates to winning at the highest level.

This is the developmental framework for Peterson as well. If he can bridge the gap from a reactive passer to a proactive advantage creator while maintaining his elite scoring and defensive versatility, he can follow a similar path to superstardom as Edwards.

Peterson's Next Big Test

Jan 24, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) reacts during the first half against the Utah Utes at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Peterson's next big test comes tomorrow in a massive home showdown at Allen Fieldhouse against No. 13 BYU. Tip-off is set for 4:30 PM EST, and the headliner is the battle between Peterson and AJ Dybantsa. As the projected second pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Dybantsa is the biggest threat to Peterson's claim as the class' top prospect. This is a matchup that scouts have had circled since the start of the season, and it will go down as a defining contest of this year's draft cycle.