LSU Tigers Commit Ben Simmons Rightfully Named Gatorade Player of the Year

Ben Simmons has been in the national spotlight for quite a while. Folks may not remember that his Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) team won a national championship shortly after Simmons was declared eligible to play during his sophomore year, but that was mainly thanks to an inspired pass by former teammate Kasey Hill.

Hill is now on the Florida Gators, but his old running mate, Simmons, will join him quite soon in the same conference.

The senior is a native Australian and LSU Tigers commit, and he has impressed U.S. scouts and coaches with his adept passing and skill around the basket. This resulted in Simmons being awarded with the Gatorade 2014-15 National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award. NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins surprised Simmons in the Eagles’ locker room with the news recently, and it was something the talented forward has dreamed about for years.

“I’ve been thinking about this award since freshman year,” said Simmons to USA TODAY Sports. “You always look forward to accomplishing the goals you set for yourself, but to have actually done it is like a weight off my shoulders. I’ve worked so hard for this moment.”

Simmons deserves serious credit for the way his game has developed. He obviously had talent and size from the beginning, but the forward also honed his skills with hours upon hours of practice. We can only imagine what he can make happen at the college level. I am expecting him to be a top-five draft pick once he enters the professional ranks, and we should be hearing about him for years to come. Simmons is now in the running for Gatorade’s High School Athlete of the Year award, but let us first see what he can make happen next week at the McDonald’s All-American game.

Dave Daniels is a Prep Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.