This week, Kansas Jayhawks freshman sensation received plenty of media hype ahead of Saturday's matchup against the BYU Cougars. 

The game features the nation's top two NBA prospects in Peterson and the Cougars' AJ Dybantsa. It led ESPN's Pete Thamel to grill some NBA executives on both players. 

When Thamel asked who Peterson reminded them of, here's what they said: 

"Scouts cast Peterson to me as perhaps the best shooting guard prospect that's come through college basketball in the last 20 years," Thamel said on ESPN's College Gameday before tip-off. "One scout compared his shot-making to Kobe Bryant, not his athleticism. Another popular comp was [Phoenix Suns guard] Devin Booker."

Not bad comparisons considering what Bryant accomplished in his career and what Booker has achieved so far. Bryant won five NBA titles during his Hall of Fame career while Booker has helped the Suns make one Finals appearance. 

With Peterson and Dybantsa considered the top two prospects, the league executives and personnel members ESPN spoke to gave Peterson the edge.

"We polled 20 scouts and executives this week to find the answer," Thamel said. "The crowd in Lawrence will be pleased with the results: Darryn Peterson got 12 votes, AJ Dybantsa got 8."

It has been reported at least 30 NBA scouts are expected in attendance at Allen Fieldhouse. The matchup has also brought out former KU stars like NBA great Paul Pierce. 

"Specifically, the eyes of the NBA lottery are going to be on Lawrence, Kansas today," Thamel said. "The Indiana Pacers are bringing six front-office members and the Atlanta Hawks are bringing five, including owner Tony Ressler. They're going to answer the question that's going to echo all through June: Who's No. 1?" 

Health has been the only knock on Peterson during his freshman season. He's dealt with a variety of injuries, ranging from ankle to hamstring. A strong showing could solidify his hold on the No. 1 pick but most of that stuff is still determined during draft workouts, etc. 

"NBA scouts do want to see him get healthy," Thamel said. "He's missed 10 games this season. He's coming off an ankle (injury). We'll see what he looks like today." 

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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Jayhawks Roundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com