Ben Simmons named SEC Men's Basketball POTW

quote:

---

SEC Player of the Week - LSU's Ben Simmons, a 6-foot-10, 240-pound freshman forward from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, averaged 29 points 16 rebounds, 5.5 assists, three steals and two blocks per game last week in games at College of Charleston and against North Florida. Against UNF, Simmons scored 43 points on 75 percent (15-of-20) shooting from the field to go with 14 rebounds, seven assists and five steals to lead the Tigers to a 119-108 win. The 43 points scored is the most by an SEC player since Arkansas' Rotnei Clarke had 51 against Alcorn State on Nov. 13, 2009. It is the most by an SEC freshman since Tennessee's Allan Houston had 43 points against LSU on Feb. 10, 1990. Simmons is the fourth freshman in past 20 years with 40 points-10 rebounds in a game and first major college player to have a game of 40-10-5-5 in last 20 years. Simmons started the week with a 15-point, 18-rebound effort at College of Charleston.

---