Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Ben Simmons, a 2015 Australian small forward ranked No. 6 in the Class of 2015 by Rivals, has committed to LSU following a weekend visit.
Duke, North Carolina and Kansas had visited Simmons at Montverde, Montverde assistant Rae Miller told SNY.tv.
“I know a lot of people will be struck by me deciding to go to LSU, but that’s where I felt most comfortable,” the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Simmons said, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN. “I feel I can progress a lot there, and I feel blessed to have offers from all those schools.”
He is the godson of LSU assistant coach David Patrick.
“David Patrick is my godfather and he’s an assistant there and so I’ve always felt really comfortable talking with them,” Simmons wrote on his USA Today Blog.
Sources said Simmons was unlikely to reclass to 2014 as many foreign players do, especially the Canadian players.
Simmons’ Monteverde (FL) Academy teammate Jalyn Patterson also committed to LSU.
“He was up there this weekend and decided that he wanted to get it over with,” Miller said of Simmons. “Now he can focus on basketball and books.”
As for his skillset, Miller said, “Ben is 6-9, 6-10 athletic, multi-dimensional player. Great feel for the game, tough, physical, rebounds and scores it, defends it. He’s a kid that has a chance to be really special for a long, long time to come.
“The kid is a fantastic player. He’s a top 5 player in the country regardless of class.”
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
Ben Simmons, a 2015 Australian small forward ranked No. 6 in the Class of 2015 by Rivals, has committed to LSU following a weekend visit.
Duke, North Carolina and Kansas had visited Simmons at Montverde, Montverde assistant Rae Miller told SNY.tv.
“I know a lot of people will be struck by me deciding to go to LSU, but that’s where I felt most comfortable,” the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Simmons said, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN. “I feel I can progress a lot there, and I feel blessed to have offers from all those schools.”
He is the godson of LSU assistant coach David Patrick.
“David Patrick is my godfather and he’s an assistant there and so I’ve always felt really comfortable talking with them,” Simmons wrote on his USA Today Blog.
Sources said Simmons was unlikely to reclass to 2014 as many foreign players do, especially the Canadian players.
Simmons’ Monteverde (FL) Academy teammate Jalyn Patterson also committed to LSU.
“He was up there this weekend and decided that he wanted to get it over with,” Miller said of Simmons. “Now he can focus on basketball and books.”
As for his skillset, Miller said, “Ben is 6-9, 6-10 athletic, multi-dimensional player. Great feel for the game, tough, physical, rebounds and scores it, defends it. He’s a kid that has a chance to be really special for a long, long time to come.
“The kid is a fantastic player. He’s a top 5 player in the country regardless of class.”
