Where Minnesota stands with Anfernee Simons
With one spot currently left in its 2018 recruiting class, Richard Pitino is going big game hunting.
Minnesota is in the mix for Anfernee Simons.
Simons is a five-star point guard who attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Rivals ranks him as the No. 13 player in his class and the fourth best shooting guard nationally in the 2018 group.
Simons was originally a Louisville commit. His claim to fame was that he was the first five-star, and the highest rated player that Rick Pitino had landed in a number of years. That came crashing with a thud, as the program became a target of an FBI investigation and ultimately Pitino paid with his job.
With a new top player on the market, the younger Pitino stepped into the new Simons sweepstakes. He is also being heavily recruited by Arizona State, Florida, Florida State, North Carolina State, SMU, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Simons has taken visits to Knoxville, and most recently Raleigh, this winter.
The NBA is the elephant in the room in regards to Simons. Although is he a Class of 2018 product, his birth date actually makes him immune to the one and done rule. His birthday is in June, so at the time of the NBA Draft, he will be 19 years old, and will be eligible to either go to college or play in the league.
Several NBA Draft Mock sites have him going late in the first round, while others project him in the second. If a player is chosen in the second round, there is no guaranteed money. He is expected to go to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago between May 16-20, and find out how he grades out. Players can declare for the draft beginning on April 22. If they do not sign with an agent they can withdraw anytime before June 11.
"I haven’t really focused on the NBA much. I am just trying to finish out my prep season on a good note, get better every day, and really help us get to the prep school national championship. I want to end the season without losing so we can make the tournament," Simons wrote a couple of weeks back in Simon Says, his journal he writes himself for Rivals.
'My mindset hasn’t changed from before. I was trying to get scholarship offers for college but now I am just trying to show the NBA who I am as a person and as a player and if I do that, I am going to be all right.'
'For me, it is going to be about the feedback that I get from what people are telling me. I am just hoping that I can get some workouts with some NBA teams and most likely I will make my decision sometime in the spring after I train and get my workouts in and get ready for the combine. I don’t know where I am going to train yet," he concluded.
The next question the begs to be asked is where does he stand with his list of colleges.
We spoke with a source close to his recruitment situation. He told us that North Carolina State appeared to the leader. Tennessee and Florida were considered neck in neck in the second and third spots, with Minnesota also coming into the top four. We were told there is a reasonable shot that Minnesota could work their way into the top three, and replace one of the Southeastern Conference schools.
It is still early in the process although Simons has already committed and de-committed from Louisville. He is concentrating on his season at IMG, and also is waiting on NBA feedback. So Pitino now supposedly in his top four, and has time to narrow the gap with the leaders.
"The process might be a little drawn out. Even if I go to college, I probably won’t get there until the summer, most likely, after the deadline. I honestly won’t commit until it comes to decide in May, " Simons told Rivals.
In his most recent journal post, Simons described his visit to North Carolina State.
"Last week, as you guys might have heard, I went to NC State for an official visit. Things went really well. Coach (Kevin) Keatts is a really good coach that lets his players play through their mistakes, which is something that I really like. It has really impressed me just how much and quickly he has gotten all of his new players to buy into his system in his first year there which has really helped them be successful."
Meanwhile, Pitino and his staff are keeping in touch with Simons they look to maneuver into an even more enviable position. Simons has not announced whether or not he will take an official visit, but the Minnesota coaches are certainly hoping he does.
Nobody in the Simons camp gives away much information, but since he is a much sought after senior recruit, all eyes are looking his way. Expect things to be quiet for the next few weeks, but The Gopher Report will break any news on this situation as it breaks.