Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Kobi Simmons to Arizona: 5-star point guard recruit signs National Letter of Intent with the Wildcats

Simmons should provide a much-needed boost at the point guard position

The Arizona Wildcats have received a signed National Letter of Intent from Kobi Simmons, officially landing the No. 21 recruit of the 2016 recruiting class.

"My relationship with Coach [Sean] Miller is very strong, and he is going to put the ball in my hands and allow me to make plays on and off the ball," Simmons told ESPN. "Also, I think the Arizona style of play and the Pac-12 Conference's style of play best fits my game."

The 6-foot-5 point guard from Alpharetta, Georgia wasn't initially seen as a prime recruiting target for Arizona, and his decision to head to the desert came together rather quickly. After all, he committed to Arizona without even visiting the school first.

Nonetheless, Arizona is happy to have him. Point guard play was one of Arizona's major weaknesses this past season, and Simmons should provide a much-needed boost in that regard. Not to mention that with his size and athleticism, he figures to be an upgrade for the team's perimeter defense -- another one of the Wildcats' glaring weaknesses.

Of course, it's too early to tell exactly what Simmons' role will be with the Wildcats, but he'll undoubtedly be competing with Kadeem Allen and Parker Jackson-Cartwright for time at the point guard position, and even has an outside chance of starting there. He'll play off-the-ball at times, too.

Simmons' strengths as a player, according to Scout.com, are his ability to create on offense, his aggressiveness as a scorer, and his versatility/ability to play multiple positions. Meanwhile, they list his 3-point range, strength, and 'true point guard' as things he needs to improve on.

Here is a more in-depth analysis of his game:

Simmons is a versatile guard who's effective as a point guard and as a scoring guard. He's skilled, handles the ball well, has good vision and can pass. He's a good driver and is equipped with floaters with either hand when he drives. He's also comfortable shooting pull-ups from mid-range and is an improving long-range shooter. He has a low release and consistency from three is an area for improvement. Simmons also has potential as a defender.

Simmons is also known for being flashy with the basketball, as you can see in his highlights below:

He'll certainly bring some excitement to McKale Center in the fall, and is an impactful addition to what should be an improved Arizona team in the 2016-17 season.

Simmons was also considering Ohio State and UNLV.



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