Ben Simmons is projected to be the number one overall pick in this year’s draft, but we won’t know for sure where he will land until June 23rd. We do know that Simmons played with D’Angelo Russell in high school at Montverde Academy of Florida. I did some digging on YouTube and found a video of the duo playing against St. Joseph of Metuchen led by Karl-Anthony Towns in high school two years ago.
The quick three-minute video focuses on the matchup between Simmons (sophomore) and Towns (senior). The two were impressive, displaying athleticism and tremendous passing. Towns showcased his remarkable offensive skills from knocking down shots from deep to being a force down on the low block. Simmons held his own against Towns, the former showed his ability to rebound the ball and take it all the way to the hoop within seconds. Simmons also displayed flashes of his efficient passing and rebounding that we saw at LSU.
Not to be overshadowed in the matchup of the big men was point guard D’Angelo Russell. Russell was equally impressively in his own rights. His silky ball handling and feel for the game gives us glimpses of what it would be like for him to reunite with his former high school teammate. They connected on a couple of nice plays with Russell finding Simmons for a few easy scores. They seemed to have meshed well on the court together with their time at Montverde Academy, and there were reports of them being close friends in high school.
Russell and Simmons’ team won 79-70 against Towns’ team. Russell finished with 24 points, six rebound and seven assists. Simmons ended with 24 points and added seven rebounds. Towns completed a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Hey if Simmons falls to the Lakers, we could see a repeat of this exciting matchup in the near future.
Enjoy the video:
