Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills, even Dante Exum. Melbourne-born teenager Ben Simmons has a shot to become a bigger name than all of the above after certifying his status as the top American high school hooper by taking home the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year award on Wednesday.
“It’s definitely a big honor,” Simmons told the AAP. “And when you look at some of the former winners, such as LeBron James and the other great players, it just motivates me to work even harder.”
Following consecutive national titles with Florida school Montverde, the Fitzroy native will join Louisiana State University next season before presumably being taken with the No.1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
But the 2.06m forward still has a lot on his plate before his NCAA career gets underway. He will feature in the McDonald’s high school All-Star game on April 1 before attending a number of prestigious events including Dick’s Nationals and the Nike Hoop Summit, where he will star for the junior World Team pitted against elite American high school prospects.
A hot name on the lips of NBA scouts even a year ago, Simmons says his transition to US basketball in 2013 wasn’t an easy one.
“My first game against (famed high school program) Oak Hill … was a bit overwhelming from a physical standpoint,” Simmons said.
“I remember (current Indiana Hoosiers forward) Troy Williams going in for a dunk, and I just got out of the way.
“I knew I had an understanding of how to play and I was athletic, but I did not understand how to put it all together.”
Having already gained national team experience the past two winters, Simmons looks set to join the rising numbers of Aussies in the NBA, and may end up topping all of them.
Photo: Kelly Kline/Getty Images.
