The Ben Simmons era will officially begin in October with the Australian phenom announcing his decision to declare for this June’s draft.
After playing a lone freshman year at Louisiana State University, the 19-year-old will make the jump to the next level, telling ESPN: “I’m making it official.”
Blending 6-foot-10 height with a range of skill, the much-hyped Simmons is expected to be selected with the top overall pick.
LSU coach Johnny Jones said: “We knew that there was a great possibility that Ben would only be at LSU for one season. And if you are going to have a guy to do that, Ben was the perfect one because of how much of a team player he is.
“We are happy about the development that transpired during his time here and think he will continue to make great strides as he transitions into the NBA.”
Despite his talent, Simmons wasn’t able to lead LSU to the NCAA Tournament as the school finished 19-14 overall and 11-7 in the Southeastern Conference this season. It was the first time in three years that LSU failed to reach 20 wins as they declined to play in the National Invitational Tournament.
If Simmons is taken first overall in the draft, it will be a rare occurrence as the last No1 pick to not reach the NCAA Tournament in his draft year was Michael Olowokandi from Pacific in 1998. Olowokandi was drafted by the Clippers and after a bright start to his career was traded to Minnesota and then Boston amid a series of injury problems culminating in his retirement in 2007.
Simmons’ statistics were off the chart as he averaged a double-double and filled that box score on a nightly basis, but he’s ineligible for the prestigious Wooden Award, given to the best college player in the nation due to academic reasons, according to ESPN.
He also drew criticism towards the end of the season for his body language and effort, potentially opening the door for fellow freshman Brandon Ingram of Duke to surpass him on draft night.
Ingram is still playing in the NCAA Tournament with Duke advancing to the Sweet Sixteen and his length (6-foot-9), tools and shooting ability will be a major draw for NBA general managers.
Jones, however, believes Simmons is just scratching the surface, adding: “Ben was a tremendous team-mate and a great competitor. He brought a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm to our team and did an outstanding job of making those around him better.
“We certainly feel as if he’s going to have a bright future as he continues to work hard to achieve his goal of playing at the highest level.”
