We’ll See At Least Two Immensely Promising Freshmen Sunday

Exhibition games have changed a lot. Some geniuses decided to get Auburn and Alabama together, and nearly got a brawl for their trouble. St. John’s and Rutgers went to quadruple overtime – in an exhibition! Duke got fascinating looks at freshmen Deron Rippey and JoJo Boumtje Boumtje.

And now, on Sunday, the nation will get a look at Boumtje Boumtje and Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes on the same court.

Both have been mentioned as possible first round NBA Draft picks. Stokes could get the honor in 2027, while Boumtje Boumtje could be the top pick when he’s eligible in 2028.

Boumtje Boumtje is a much taller player at 7-2 and 25o, but at 6-7 and around 230, Stokes is pretty thick, too.

This is not like it’s Magic vs. Bird, obviously. Boumtje Boumtje is a big man, and while Stokes is powerfully built, he’s a forward.

That said, they have some intriguing overlaps. Both are versatile. Despite looking like a smallish power forward, Stokes has great court vision and, honestly, guard skills. He’s not exactly built like former NBA star Anthony Mason, but he’s not that far off, either.

Watch him, though: he gets to the basket. He makes really smart passes. He’s a dynamic force on the court.

But Boumtje Boumtje is also pretty versatile. He’s got an excellent outside shot, and who’s going to block it? If anyone comes out to get him, he can go around them. We’ve only seen two games so far, but he’s made some nice passes in both.

This game is likely to be pretty intense, and both of them are freshmen, so you can’t tell how they’ll react. Our guess is they’ll rise to see the moment.

Back to Rippey for a minute. It’s not quite the same thing, but Jayhawk Taylor Kinney is a pretty sharp first-year guard, too. They may not go toe-to-toe all that much, but keep an eye on both of those guys. That’ll be a fun comparison as well.

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