ESPN's Seth Greenberg: "(Jarred Vanderbilt) reminds me a little bit of Ben Simmons."

We only got to see 14 minutes of playing time in Jarred Vanderbilt’s Kentucky debut, but in limited action, we got just a taste of how special the five-star freshman has the potential to be.

After sitting out the first 17 games of the season with a foot injury, the Wildcat forward finished with six points, five rebounds, three assists, and a block. He brought the ball up the floor, set up the offense, and ran plays like a true point forward. His ball-handling was terrific, his length on defense led to easy baskets in transition, and he provided much-needed depth in a game where nearly every major contributor on the Kentucky roster got into foul trouble.

John Calipari said his star freshman had no idea what he was doing out there and is still getting acclimated to the system, but Vanderbilt looked like he belonged. We saw first-game jitters, and the game ended in a tough loss, but it looked like the coming out party of a true star.

ESPN analyst and College GameDay co-host Seth Greenberg agrees, saying Vanderbilt reminds him of the NBA Rookie of the Year frontrunner.

“I do think Jarred Vanderbilt changes the dynamic of their team,” Greenberg told the Kentucky media this afternoon. “He reminds me a little bit of Ben Simmons in terms of his court vision and ability to pass. He’s a point forward.”

Greenberg went on to say his shooting doesn’t impress, but his ability to rebound the ball, take off, and find the open man is an underrated, yet much-needed asset to this Kentucky team.

“Jarred is different than anyone on the team, he’s unique. He can’t shoot it that great, and he’s not a great free throw shooter, but he rebounds the ball and he initiates the fast break,” said Greenberg. “He can advance past the fast break like he did the other night, get it back, and make that pass to Sacha for a layup. No one else on the team can make that pass, even the point guards.”

ESPN analyst Jay Bilas agrees, saying the ball just seems to flow a bit easier with the talented freshman in the game.

“Vanderbilt adds a skilled player that’s got size and length that can make plays off the bounce,” said Bilas. “He’s a good passer, so the ball moves when he’s in there.

Greenberg hopes Vanderbilt’s high motor can be contagious for the Kentucky roster, and give them the jolt of energy they desperately need.

“He can defend multiple positions, and he’s got a high motor,” he said. “Playing hard and being enthusiastic, high energy, it’s contagious. This team needs to go out with some juice, and a bounce in their step, and energy. He gives them that.”

Greenberg says that Vanderbilt’s previous injuries allow him to appreciate his time on the court more, and that could lead to him being the missing piece the Wildcats so desperately need.

“The great thing about Jarred is that when something is taken away from you, you appreciate it that much more,” said Greenberg. “He’s had this taken away from him twice with injuries. He’s excited, he can appreciate being on the court that much more, and hopefully, that mentality spreads to the rest of their team.

“He has the chance to be the guy that makes it happen for them,” he said.

Check out Greenberg’s entire interview, where he also stands by his controversial comments made earlier in the week:

Go Cats.