Because, while folks may forget, Rivers was described *very* similarly to Anthony in terms of their HS output. And it certainly helped that Austin had a dad with NBA pedigree.

Austin has always been a score-first guy, even in HS-- but Cole in HS, like Austin in HS, has also occasionally shown an unwillingness to pass and a tendency to float on offense if the ball isn't in his hands. Austin embraced being a score-first guard more, because his size (6'4/6'8 wingspan) made it easier for him to project as that in the NBA than it will for Cole (I've seen a range of heights from 6'1 to 6'3 and wingspans from 6'3.5-6'5), so Cole's been working harder in HS to be more of a passing PG than Austin was... but there's no mistaking that Cole's still a shoot-first player at this juncture, even if it's to less of an extent than Austin. Both also sometimes get lost on off-ball defense at the HS level, so there's potential reason for concern there if you're a UNC fan. People may say today "Cole's a much better 3 point shooter than Austin!", but that's hindsight once again, because people forget Austin was seen as a *deadly* shooter in HS. It's hard not to see Cole's tape and see shadows of Austin's tape, imo.

Austin was considered a very real #1 pick prospect before his freshman season started and for good reason. Cole is considered the same. I think it'd be presumptuous to say an elite ball-dominant guard *won't* hit those speedbumps when going up a level... it's all going to be about his adjustments to those bumps. There have been plenty of players who have been The Guy in HS, who are pro-ready, who make the adjustment to more ball movement and more engagement off-ball easily. Others have struggled with that adjustment, Austin being a prime example. I expect Cole to be a better pro than Austin... but I think it's fair to ask "will Cole be what Austin was supposed to be or what Austin eventually became?" Until I see him play ACC caliber opponents, I'm reserving full judgment.