LSU Basketball

College basketball fans have likely seen their last game with Ben Simmons in an LSU uniform. 

According to Kent Lowe of LSUSports.net, "LSU men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones announced late Sunday afternoon that the Tigers will not participate in a postseason tournament this year."

Lowe noted Jones “consulted with his staff and met with the team” before he ultimately decided to pass up the chance to play in the NIT.

"We will be able to utilize this time to get better and start preparations for next season," Jones said. "We fell short of the mark of getting to the NCAA tournament; I take full responsibility for this team and will do the things necessary to make sure we are able to reach one of our main goals at LSU in the future."

LSU's failure to make the NCAA tournament wasn’t the only reason Jones opted to decline a postseason bid. Senior Keith Hornsby underwent season-ending surgery Tuesday, and guard Antonio Blakeney would have been questionable in any upcoming games, per Lowe. “That also factored into our decision,” Jones noted.

Despite the injuries, Doug Mouton of CBS New Orleans didn’t think LSU should have forgone the opportunity to play more games this season:

IMO, I disagree with LSU's decision to not play in the NIT. Sometimes, life is about making the best of a bad situation and not quitting.

— Doug Mouton (@DMoutonWWL) March 13, 2016

The Tigers finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 19-14 record. They were also 11-7 in the SEC during the regular season and earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament.

However, they lost in embarrassing fashion to Texas A&M in the semifinals, 71-38, in a game that was essentially over by halftime at 35-13. LSU shot a miserable 13-of-63 from the field and 5-of-27 from three-point range and didn’t resemble a tournament team in the weeks leading up to Selection Sunday.

While the Tigers did beat Kentucky on Jan. 5, they finished 4-6 in their final 10 contests, including the SEC tournament.

LSU is a brand-name sports school, but the biggest headline here is the likely end of Simmons’ collegiate career. He was only a freshman this season, but he has been the presumed No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft since the moment he stepped on campus.

Andrew Sharp of Sports Illustrated recently projected the forward to go No. 1 overall, which makes sense because of his ability to control the flow of the game and stuff the stat sheet as a 6’10” forward. He led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game and will likely head to the NBA if he takes his projected draft position into consideration.

Even with that talent, Simmons had an up-and-down year off the court. Glenn Guilbeau of USA Today noted the forward didn’t start during a loss to Tennessee because of academics, and he wasn’t eligible for the Wooden Award because he didn’t have a 2.0 GPA.

Between the off-court concerns, falling short of the NCAA tournament, the blowout loss to the Aggies and his coach's choice to pass up on the chance to play in a postseason tournament, Simmons' first and perhaps only season in the collegiate ranks had an unremarkable finish. 

In an announcement that should come as no surprise, LSU forward Ben Simmons was named the 2016 SEC Freshman of the Year on Tuesday. 

Simmons, who is widely expected to go No. 1 overall in June's NBA draft, was also named to the All-SEC first team. He and Kentucky's Jamal Murray are the only two freshmen to earn all-conference honors.

Other awards given included Kentucky's Tyler Ulis winning conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Billy Kennedy of Texas A&M was the SEC Coach of the Year after leading the Aggies to a share of the regular-season conference title. 

Simmons, an Australian, averaged 19.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game during the regular season. He scored in double figures in all but one game, utilizing brilliant playmaking skills and silky athleticism to get himself free near the basket. Widely viewed as the top prospect in the 2016 class, Simmons has been everything LSU expected from an individual standpoint.

“LSU’s [Simmons] is the best all around player I’ve seen since LeBron James came out of high school straight to the NBA!” NBA great Magic Johnson tweeted in January. “Whatever team selects [Simmons], will be getting a player that will have an immediate impact on their squad!”

Unfortunately, Simmons' brilliance has not translated to team success. LSU enters the conference tournament at 18-13, in desperate need of a deep run to make the NCAA tournament. ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi does not even have the Tigers among the first eight teams out hanging on the bubble. They will probably need to make the championship game to get committee consideration; otherwise, Simmons' time in Baton Rouge will end in the NIT.

Simmons has also come under a bit of fire lately for his poor academic standing. He was not nominated for the Wooden Award after failing to meet the academic standards, per ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman. 

"I don't know. I'm not too sure, but I believe I'm still the best player, so as long as I believe it, it doesn't really matter," Simmons said.

"Mr. Wooden was a teacher, right?" Simmons added. "It's a part of it. That's their criteria. They talk about playing so much then they bring other stuff into it. It is what it is. I'm not fazed by it. I just wanted to win for my team and see how far we could go."

As it stands, it's hard to blame Simmons for putting class on the back burner. There is a zero percent chance he returns for his sophomore season; the worries of eligibility have long passed. Basketball will soon be his one and only job, and it's clear Simmons is one of the nation's most unique talents. Him winning this award was a no-brainer.

The LSU Tigers have generated national attention this season despite a mediocre 18-13 record thanks to the presence of superstar Ben Simmons. Simmons, however, recently made headlines for reasons outside of his basketball abilities.

Glenn Guilbeau of USA Today noted Monday the freshman forward did not start an 81-65 loss at the Tennessee Volunteers on Feb. 20 because of academic reasons. What's more, Simmons didn't earn a 2.0 GPA last semester and was not included as one of the 15 finalists for the Wooden Award.

Guilbeau shared Simmons' thoughts on his academic issues:

I think it was just little things like missing a couple of classes and things like that. And then it gets brought up. If it was somebody else, it may not have been brought up. Now, it's one of those things that's everywhere. But I'm not worried about that right now.

[...]

You don't go to some classes. You miss some classes, and you're going to get punished. That's how they handle it. I learned from it. I go to class now.

Simmons is the assumed No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. DraftExpress has him in that spot in its latest mock draft thanks largely to his ability to impact so many different aspects of games as a 6'10" forward.

Simmons leads the Tigers in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per night and was named the SEC preseason Player of the Year.

"I was just trying to be a college student, but it's not easy for me just because who I am," Simmons said, per Guilbeau. "So I just tried to enjoy little things. Enjoyed it really, learning new things with people."

There may be some things Simmons has enjoyed about his college experience thus far, but hearing chants of "GPA! GPA!" from Kentucky Wildcats fans during LSU's 94-77 loss in Lexington on Saturday probably didn't make the cut. The Tigers missed a golden opportunity to bolster their NCAA tournament resume in that contest.

While LSU has struggled with consistency, Simmons has been statistically spectacular during his freshman campaign:

Minutes	Points	Field-Goal Percentage	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks
35.3	19.6	56.1	11.9	5	2	0.8

Alas, even with the potential future No. 1 pick leading the way, the Tigers look like a long shot—at best—to make the Big Dance.

Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com didn't even include LSU in his most recent "bubble watch," and that was before the blowout loss to the Wildcats. Considering Simmons' squad didn't garner "work left to do" status, it may have to win the SEC tournament to be part of the Madness in mid-March.

The one good thing for the Tigers is they received a bye into the quarterfinals of the conference tourney, which is set to start Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

LSU is the No. 4 seed and will face the No. 5 Vanderbilt Commodores, No. 12 Volunteers or No. 13 Auburn Tigers on Friday. If Simmons and Co. win that one (perhaps against a Commodores squad playing in its home city), they would then likely face the No. 1 Texas A&M Aggies in the semifinals. Another win and LSU could face No. 2 Kentucky in the finals.

Tim Quarterman did not take kindly to being tripped.

The LSU Tigers guard was making his way past Jamal Murray when the Kentucky Wildcats guard appeared to use his foot to cause Quarterman to tumble toward the end of Saturday's game at Rupp Arena. No foul was called.

The Wildcats trumped the Tigers, 94-77, to clinch a share of the SEC regular-season title.

[Vine]

LSU guard Keith Hornsby reportedly reaggravated a lingering hernia injury in Saturday's 81-65 loss to Tennessee, and it is uncertain when he will be able to return to action.

Continue for updates.

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Hornsby Comments on Injury

Tuesday, Feb. 23

Cody Worsham of Tiger Rag shared a Facebook post Hornsby made regarding his health:

Keith Hornsby posted an injury update on Facebook. Says the injury is "unpredictable" and he's "week to week." pic.twitter.com/sImbjmkpAb

— Cody Worsham (@CodyWorsham) February 23, 2016

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Jones Comments on Hornsby's Injury

Monday, Feb. 22

Head coach Johnny Jones said there is "no timetable" for Hornsby's return, per Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.

"We don't know," Jones said when asked if Hornsby could miss the season, per Zagoria. "There's a chance he could be out for the rest of the season."

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LSU's Best Perimeter Shooter Could Be Done for Season

Monday, Feb. 22 

Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reported the news Monday. Hornsby, a senior, missed the Tigers' first seven games with a hernia and has been playing through pain all season, according to the report.

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Hornsby's Injury Could Cripple Tigers' Tournament Hopes

Hornsby is second behind Ben Simmons on the team with 13.1 points per game and is shooting a team-best 41.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The timing couldn't possibly be worse for LSU, which has dropped two straight games and is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament. Losing to Tennessee was a particularly frustrating blow, as the Volunteers are a sub-.500 team playing without leading scorer Kevin Punter Jr.

Jones said the following Saturday, per Sheldon Mickles of the Advocate:

Winning is important to me, so that’s our preparation. We’ll always prepare; that’s what I get caught up in and focus on and (put) time and attention into. If you do that, you put yourself in a great spot. We were (8-6) at this time last year (in the SEC), and today we’re 9-5. We have a chance to do some good things; we’ve just got to make sure we try to win these games down the stretch that are in front of us.

LSU currently ranks 87th in RPI and is 199th in nonconference strength of schedule, per ESPN.com. It has four regular-season games remaining, including a critical March 5 matchup with Kentucky.

Losing Hornsby could be the blow that knocks the Tigers out of tournament contention for good. They already struggle to stretch the floor with their bricky starting lineup, and Hornsby is arguably their most irreplaceable player not named Simmons. 

For now, their fingers will be crossed that Antonio Blakeney or Tim Quarterman can catch fire from deep and help make up for Hornsby's loss. 

LSU Tigers freshman forward Ben Simmons was benched for the first four minutes, 30 seconds of his team's game against the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday afternoon for academic reasons, according to ESPN's Sarah Hart.

"Academic matter, there are some academic things he needs to take care of," LSU head coach Johnny Jones said on the ESPNU broadcast, per DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony. "This is how we're dealing with it"

While the punishment was hardly severe, it should serve as a wake-up call for Simmons as the Tigers try to scratch their way into the NCAA tournament. 

Simmons has been the lifeblood of LSU all season long, but his heroics have been able to carry the team only so far.

During a standout freshman season that's seen him average 19.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game prior to Saturday, the phenom has helped lift LSU to wins over the likes of Kentucky and Texas A&M while pushing previously top-ranked Oklahoma in a tight two-point contest.

That said, LSU has some ugly losses on its resume—including defeats at the hands of Alabama, Wake Forest and Houston. 

Considering the Tigers have struggled to gain any semblance of consistency in the win column with Simmons active, it's hard to imagine what would happen if he were to be punished further. 

For Simmons' sake and the program's, hopefully Saturday served as a minor shock to his system. 

Ben Simmons is having no issue stealing the spotlight from Oklahoma.

The LSU Tigers star drove to the basket to throw down a sick reverse dunk during Saturday's tilt versus the No. 1 Sooners at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

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ICYMI: @LSUCoachJones rewarded walk-on Henry Shortess with a scholarship Thursday. And it was awesome. #LSUhttps://t.co/X9Uvm8wAHl

— LSU Tigers (@LSUsports) January 22, 2016

Succeeding as a walk-on takes a tremendous amount of courage and determination. With no guarantees or financial support, it's simply an athlete's faith in themselves and their love for the game which propels them to reach for the ultimate validation of their improvement and contributions—a scholarship.

Such was the case for LSU basketball guard Henry Shortess who was recently acknowledged by head coach Johnny Jones for his efforts.

During a team meeting, the unsuspecting junior was called up in front of his team for recognition, at which point Jones introduced the good news by saying this:

We’re excited about the efforts and stuff that Henry’s been putting forward and he’s always thrived and did everything that he possibly could to be the best that he could be. ...

He’s never looked and I don’t think you guys have ever looked at him as a walk-on. And today I’m glad that you won’t have an opportunity to anymore—we’re going to put Henry on scholarship.

Shortess' emotions are clear, but so too are those of his teammates who are clearly elated for him.

There's no doubting Shortess' gratitude as he proudly relays the good news over the phone, and judging by the show of respect he received from Jones, it's obvious the honor couldn't have gone to a better guy.

[LSU, h/t For The Win]

LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons hasn't taken very long to assert his dominance in the NCAA. On Wednesday night, he showed off his ability even further, dropping 43 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and five steals in a 119-108 win against North Florida at Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Simmons shot 15-of-20 from the field and made an additional 13-of-15 free throws in a history-making night, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out:

Ben Simmons is the only major conference player in the last 20 seasons with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists & 5 steals in a game.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 3, 2015

ESPN Stats & Info also took a look at his shot chart:  

Ben Simmons final line tonight:
43 points
15-20 FG
14 rebounds
7 assists
5 steals
3 blocks

All 15 FG in the paint pic.twitter.com/agAeoluqKJ

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 3, 2015

"I definitely felt like they couldn't really stop me in the post," Simmons said, per the Times-Picayune's Randy Rosetta. "They helped me build my confidence by throwing me the ball. Once I had it, I knew where I was going."

LSU Basketball highlighted how Simmons' night put him in good company:   

Ben Simmons finished the night with 43 points. The last two Tigers to finish a game with exactly 43 points were Shaq and Pete Maravich.

— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) December 3, 2015

For ESPN's Jay Williams, Simmons is living up to all the hype:

People get angry abt @ESPN always talking abt Ben Simmons... Let me tell you why. Kid just had 43 pts & 14 Rebs tonight. @espncbb #HotDamn

— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) December 3, 2015

The Tigers needed every bit of Simmons' effort to narrowly defeat North Florida, as the 19-year-old has experienced a rough start in the win-loss column, per ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman:

Ben Simmons lost one game in the past three years. Has lost 3 already this season.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 1, 2015

"I'm tired of losing," Simmons said, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "I just wanted everyone to get energy and try to play as a team. The three losses fueled the fire a little bit. I definitely felt like they couldn't stop me in the post. My teammates built my confidence by throwing me the ball. Once I had it, I knew where I was going."

On the day he was named to the Naismith Trophy's early-season watch list, Simmons made quite a statement, even if it was against a mid-major like North Florida. Tigers fans should enjoy watching this while they can because it's not likely Simmons will be hanging around college much longer with the NBA beckoning. 

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.

Ben Simmons is LSU basketball's most exciting recruit in recent memory, but fans will have to wait a bit longer to get a glimpse of the highly touted freshman.

Continue for updates.

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Simmons Out of 1st Practice with Sore Ankle

Tuesday, Oct. 6

NOLA.com's Randy Rosetta passed along the news on Simmons as he sat out Monday's first practice of the 2015-16 season with a sore ankle.    

Simmons' injury seems rather minor at this point, and it's wise for the Tigers to err on the side of caution for now. Another reason not to worry too much about Simmons' status moving forward came from the young man himself on Tuesday:

Feeling 110%

— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) October 6, 2015

Simmons was 247Sports' No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2015 and is expected to make LSU a factor in the NCAA tournament on his own. The 19-year-old's already garnering comparisons to all-time great players at the pro level as it is.

"The one thing that stands out when you watch him is that he always makes the right plays," said one NBA scout to SI.com's Chris Mannix. "I really don't see any weaknesses. You can tell he grew up watching LeBron James because he plays like a kid that wants to be great at all facets of the game."

Provided he can stay healthy, there's a real chance Simmons will be under consideration as the top pick in next year's NBA draft. The 6'10", 240-pound phenom from Australia has guard-like ball-handling and passing skills to go with tremendous athleticism and rebounding ability.

With that type of skill set, Simmons can produce points at will either setting up teammates or scoring on his own.

As Simmons continues to fill out his frame and develop his game, there's no telling what his ceiling is. It stands to reason he'll pan out better than another former lottery pick from the LSU program in Tyrus Thomas.