Simmons A Nice Find For Holy Cross

He emerged out of relative obscurity last spring, and Keith Simmons, the 6'5'' 185 pound combo guard/swingman from Kingston High School in Kingston, New York, continued to intrigue college coaches with his versatility well into the summer.

After getting a wide variety of interest and some high major sniffs, Simmons settled on Holy Cross, a school that wasn't too far from home where he could make an impact. As Simmons' high school career wound to a close on Saturday, he is looking like a terrific find for the Patriot League program.

Simmons pumped in 25 points, at times single-handedly keeping Kingston afloat, in a tough quarterfinal match-up in the New York Class "A" playoffs against Mount Vernon on Saturday. While the Tigers ultimately fell, 86-67, Simmons' masterful performance against what is perennially one of the top programs in New York state was one to remember.

Time and time again, Keith wove his way through traffic, slinking past defenders to knock down mid-range jumpers. Late in the game he showed off his long-range stroke, knocking down three three-pointers to try and keep his team close. Simmons is not explosively quick, but he possesses excellent size for a wing player, and in fact did a credible job running the point for Kingston for long stretches on Saturday.

Simmons' length and size enable him to get shots off against smaller guards. He is elusive enough to slip past defenders for pull-ups. On the defensive end, Keith's length and wingspan make him a difficult match-up for opposing guards. He gets his hands on a lot of balls, and can pitch in on the glass, as well.

Simmons told Rivalshoops.com that the coaching staff at Holy Cross sees him playing a similar role for them as he did on his high school team.

"They see me playing anywhere from(point guard, shooting guard, and small forward), kind of like I do for my high school team," said Simmons.

Simmons has been putting the most work into his shooting over the course of the year.

It's been fun to watch Keith Simmons at the high school level and on the AAU circuit with the New York Elite, and he should prove to be a versatile and valuable cog for Holy Cross for the next four years.