Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Set to Visit Kentucky Next Month, Kobi Simmons Talks Wildcats, Calipari
By JOSH NEWMANBROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Kobi Simmons is one of two Class of 2016 point guards offered by the University of Kentucky along with Dennis Smith Jr.
That said, Simmons will also be the first of the two to visit when he heads to Lexington for an official visit on Aug. 28.
“Cal wants me to go there, I’m one of his first targets,” Simmons said Wednesday evening at the adidas Uprising All-American Camp at LIU Post. “He offered me months ago and has made it very clear that he wants me to go there.
“Me and Cal talk pretty much every day now. It’s a strong recruitment and he just tells me he wants me. I know what they do, I know the system, I’ll have the ball in my hands and I want to try and win a national championship.”
John Calipari has had 25 players drafted since he arrived at Kentucky in 2010. On June 26, alone, six Wildcats were picked and a seventh, Aaron Harrison, has agreed to terms with the Charlotte Hornets as an undrafted free agent. Next season, Jamal Murray (DraftExpress No. 17 in 2016) and Isaiah Briscoe (No. 19) and Marcus Lee (No. 30) are all projected to go in the first round.
The type of regularity with which Calipari has sent his players to the NBA is not lost on Simmons, who figures to appear when DraftExpress releases its initial mock draft for 2017 later this summer.
“That means that Cal and his program are doing what they’re supposed to do,” said Simmons, who attends Alpharetta (GA) St. Francis. “He’s the key to getting to their dreams and where they wanna go. They have a great system and it would be great to follow in those footsteps, but we’ll see.”
After Kentucky, Simmons will visit Xavier on Sept. 4. Musketeers head coach Chris Mack was present for both of Simmons’ games on Wednesday night.
Follow Josh Newman on Twitter
By JOSH NEWMAN
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Kobi Simmons is one of two Class of 2016 point guards offered by the University of Kentucky along with Dennis Smith Jr.
That said, Simmons will also be the first of the two to visit when he heads to Lexington for an official visit on Aug. 28.
“Cal wants me to go there, I’m one of his first targets,” Simmons said Wednesday evening at the adidas Uprising All-American Camp at LIU Post. “He offered me months ago and has made it very clear that he wants me to go there.
“Me and Cal talk pretty much every day now. It’s a strong recruitment and he just tells me he wants me. I know what they do, I know the system, I’ll have the ball in my hands and I want to try and win a national championship.”
John Calipari has had 25 players drafted since he arrived at Kentucky in 2010. On June 26, alone, six Wildcats were picked and a seventh, Aaron Harrison, has agreed to terms with the Charlotte Hornets as an undrafted free agent. Next season, Jamal Murray (DraftExpress No. 17 in 2016) and Isaiah Briscoe (No. 19) and Marcus Lee (No. 30) are all projected to go in the first round.
The type of regularity with which Calipari has sent his players to the NBA is not lost on Simmons, who figures to appear when DraftExpress releases its initial mock draft for 2017 later this summer.
“That means that Cal and his program are doing what they’re supposed to do,” said Simmons, who attends Alpharetta (GA) St. Francis. “He’s the key to getting to their dreams and where they wanna go. They have a great system and it would be great to follow in those footsteps, but we’ll see.”
After Kentucky, Simmons will visit Xavier on Sept. 4. Musketeers head coach Chris Mack was present for both of Simmons’ games on Wednesday night.
Follow Josh Newman on Twitter
