Anfernee Simons Will Skip College And Enter The NBA Draft

Here’s one of the more unique situations out here. Anfernee Simons, who is currently at IMG Academy and eligible for college next year is skipping that step and going straight to the NBA. The reason he can do that? He graduated from Edgewater High in Orlando last year and is currently spending a post-grad year at IMG Academy, something that’s not uncommon. He’s also going to be 19 years old when the draft rolls around. Those are the two requirements to be eligible for the NBA Draft. Again, you just have to be one year removed from high school and 19.

Simons was originally committed to Louisville, but once the FBI investigation broke and Rick Pitino was fired, he decommitted. Since that time, Florida, NC State, South Carolina and Tennessee were all believed to be in the mix if he decided to go to college for a year. Simons was a late-bloomer, which is where perhaps some of the recruiting came in late. He started his career at Montverde Academy, playing for Kevin Boyle and the school that produced the likes of RJ Barrett, D’Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons. As a sophomore he couldn’t get off the bench, so he reclassified backwards and moved to Edgewater High. That’s where he really start to break out as he averaged over 23 points per game for Edgewater and that became a star on the AAU circuit playing for Team Breakdown (Under Armour circuit).

So who is he as a player? He’s a 6’4″ combo guard that is viewed as a potential lead guard in the NBA. He has the ability to play both on and off the ball due to his ability to shoot, both off the bounce and in catch and shoot situations. He also has the ability to play both guard spots due to his athleticism. However, he does need to get stronger to play consistently at the next level. Simons had climbed all the way to No. 7 on the ESPN Top-100 recruiting rankings, so it’s not like he doesn’t have game. He’s known for being able to score at all three levels despite not having great size. He’s projected to go somewhere in the late first round by most mocks.

Here’s his obligatory mixtape: