Four-star Simms narrows focus
Four-star power forward Aamir Simms has been a popular recruit in the 2017 class. Schools up and down the east coast extended scholarship offers to the Virginia native, but on Wednesday, he decided to narrow his list to six. He’s now focused on Clemson, Iowa State, Miami, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and VCU.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: Simms talked about what stands out most about each school on his list.
VCU: “Coach [Will] Wade, is really down to earth and can relate to his players. He keeps it real with me and he tells me what he wants to do with me when I get there if I do go there.
Clemson: “That’s a relationship I’ve had for over a year. Me and Coach [Steve] Smith and Coach [Brad] Brownell have been really close and tight.”
Notre Dame: “Coach [Mike] Brey has done a lot with that program turning it around, and it’s one of the best schools around in the best conference. I like how he develops his big men. The academics are top notch there.”
Miami: “Me and Coach [Jim] Larranaga have a great relationship. Out of all the coaches, he’s the one that texts me the most, calls me the most and checks in on me the most.”
Iowa State: “A lot of people are surprised I have them on the list, and I even surprised myself by having them on there, but I want to give them a chance because I like what they did with Georges Niang the last few years. I like how they developed him and I think we’re very similar. I like how it’s off the beaten path and I could focus more on basketball.”
Pittsburgh: “Coach [Kevin] Sutton, he’s been on me a long, long time. I think we have the best relationship out of all the coaches. Pittsburgh itself stands out because they have all the pro teams. The people there are diehard fans of those teams.”
WHAT’S NEXT?: Simms plans to take official visits to Clemson, Iowa State and VCU during September. After those three visits, he’ll sit down with his family and coaches to discuss what he’s going to do from that point. He could take his last couple visits or possibly come to a decision at that time.
RIVALS’ REACTION: Following the visits is usually a wise strategy when trying to figure which schools are sitting in a good spot in a particular recruitment. For Simms, the three schools he plans to visit first have to feel good about their chances. Like with Lavar Batts, this one could end up coming down to Clemson and VCU, although Pittsburgh will always be in play with Sutton on staff.
