Ben Simmons Picking Himself for Player of the Year

Buddy Hield may be the favorite for National Player of the Year honors, but don’t try telling that to Ben Simmons.

Buddy Hield may be the favorite for National Player of the Year honors, but don’t try telling that to Ben Simmons.

The 6-foot-10 Simmons is picking himself as the top player in the nation.

“Oh myself, I’m not going to pick anybody over me but there’s a lot of great players out there,” Simmons told ESPN’s Andy Katz after he dropped 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in LSU’s 94-83 loss to South Carolina.

“I don’t think anyone’s better than me.”

Post game sit down with @BenSimmons25 of @LSUBasketball https://t.co/MTKnklJVc3

– Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) February 11, 2016

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Simmons is the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, while the 6-4 Hield is the favorite for various Player of the Year awards.

Both players were among those named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 List, with the winner to be announced April 8.

Meantime, LSU (15-9, 8-3 SEC) remains on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Tigers as a 10 seed at the moment.

Asked what it would mean to miss the Big Dance, Simmons said, “It would be annoying, frustrating, upsetting for me and my teammates. …I’m not happy if we lose so we’ll see what happens.”