Benjamin “Ben” Simmons.
Get familiar with that name because you’ll be hearing it for years to come. However, for now everyone is curious to see if the Australian sensation is worth all the hype.
With the college basketball season starting this weekend, the Associated Press released their All-American team and Simmons was one of the five guys selected.
LSU's Ben Simmons: 4th freshman named to men's Preseason AP All-American team. pic.twitter.com/F9V0mPuQKF
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 9, 2015
Although LSU is known for football, the arrival of Simmons has changed things around campus a bit. I mean, it does make sense because Baton Rogue hasn’t seen a basketball player this hyped up since Shaquille O’Neal.
Teammate Keith Hornsby is in awe of the impact Simmons is already having.
“It’s really quite astonishing, just watching him roam around and people notice him, and just give him attention, and he’s really good about it, too,” Hornsby said. “He acknowledges everybody, and that’s pretty cool. It’s fun to walk around him, even to walk about 10 feet behind him. Even when people don’t talk to him, they’re whispering to each other [about Simmons].”
The Tigers open up their season this Friday at home against McNeese State.