Welcome to our “Introducing” series, where we profile some of the nation’s top-ranked recruits, and breakdown what kind of impact we expect them to have during their freshmen seasons.
After spending the first 15 years of his life back in his native country of Austrailia, Ben Simmons moved to Montverde, Fla., where he would embark on a three year journey towards the top of the college basketball recruiting world.
According to the 247Spots Composite, a composite ranking of industry recruiting rankings, Simmons is considered the nation’s top overall prospect, and he has signed to play for LSU next winter.
Name: Ben Simmons
Height: 6’10
Position: Wing
Ranking: Five-star, No. 1 overall
Strengths: The most impressive attribute that Simmons displays on the court is his basketball IQ. He understands defensive positioning, shot blocking timing, passing lane defense, driving lanes, passing angles, and offensive rotations at an elite level. With the ball in his hands, he’s an effective point guard due to his unique ability to get to the interior of a defense, but also because he’s a willing passer to shooters on the perimeter. His height and length allow for him to score in the post as well.
Areas to Improve: Simmons must get his shot to be more consistent from the outside if he wants college defenses to respect it enough for him to drive past them. This will open up an entirely new array of offensive options for him to explore. While he’s certainly not dainty or weak, we’d also like him to get his strength up a bit, as he will have to deal with mature post players on the defensive end.
Watch the video above for more insight
