We've seen a lot of players come through our doors over the years, varying in appearance, skill level, and everything in between. We decided to put forth a 'Getting to Know' series on some players who have attended events over the past few years but still remain on the lesser-known side of things. Each of these prospects embody being a student-athlete and getting it done in the classroom as well as on the basketball court, and today's edition will take a closer look Demetri Simmons of Goose Creek and TMP Elite.
We've seen Simmons in various different settings, including our most recent SC Top 80, where we stated, 'Moving onto a player that proved to be among the best two-way teammates on display, Demetri Simmons. He's a long, wiry, smart guard prospect with a tight handle, craftiness, vision, and the ability to touch the paint at a phenomenal rate. Simmons is quick and able to get downhill with ease, which allows him to make dump-off passes and set up teammates with regularity. He's an efficient three-level scorer but unselfish and always looking to make the smartest possible play. Simmons is a quality rebounder and all-around defender with the ability to jump into passing lanes or force on-ball turnovers, which leads to a ton of easy buckets in transition. Next in his development process is working to become a craftier ball-handler, as it would make him tougher for opponents to contain off the dribble. Coach Gaither on Simmons: 'Demetri is a quick guard that really defends well and distributes the ball at a high level. He can get to the basket and finish in traffic well. Demetri played hard and maintained a positive attitude throughout the day.' Simmons enjoyed an excellent showing at camp and should carve out a nice role during the upcoming season for Goose Creek.'
Although other players on this roster might receive more attention, Simmons is as valuable as anyone. He's a long, intelligent floor general with great vision, ball-handling, and the ability to effectively breakdown opposing defenders. Simmons is an unselfish player and willing passer who looks to make the right play whenever possible. He's an effective scorer from all levels and can assume more scoring responsibility as necessary. Simmons is equally as impressive running the show for TMP Elite and Goose Creek, which should allow him to shine for college coaches over the next few years.