Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks have secured their first commitment for the 2012 class with Zach Peters (PF, 6’9″, 2012), a physical player who mixes it up in the paint and will bring solid rebounding to KU.
Peters, a strong player who slightly resembles a surfer as much as a basketball player, also has a mid range game that can make him an effective scorer, with range out to about eighteen feet. His style of play will make him effective at the college level. He’s been compared to former North Carolina big man and All American Tyler Hansbrough, which tells a lot about his physical play.
While I don’t see an exact relation to Tyler Hansbrough’s game and tenacity, one thing is for certain, Peters already has the body to bang in college and while some big men can play ‘with’ contact, Zach Peters is a big man for whom contact is part of his game. He’s not the kind of player who can be fouled out of the lane and will steamroll weak defenders at the hoop. He’s got the kind of solid strength and presence that big men at the Division I level really need to be true post players, so with his range and physical play he’s a solid recruit who will see minutes for the Jayhawks.
The only knock on Peters at this point is that his physical play makes him a solid D1 center, and his range makes him a solid D1 PF. But his size, at 6’9″, means he will need to play the PF spot a lot if he makes it to the pros, so that’s the only question. He definitely has the skills to become deadly at the high post for the Jayhawks and with a few years to develop, is one to watch.
Zach Peters was also considering UNC, Kentucky and Texas.