Ben Simmons entered this season as one of the most highly touted college basketball players of the one-and-done era, and has done little to disappoint on the court. But the LSU star will not be eligible to win the Wooden Award this season.
LSU opted not to certify Simmons because he did not meet academic-related requirements. Tigers spokesman Kent Lowe said Simmons "did not have the necessary criteria to be eligible," according to ESPN.com. Student-athletes must have a cumulative 2.0 GPA since enrolling at their university. Simmons' GPA hasn't been revealed.
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Despite being unable to win the award, Simmons hasn't lost any confidence in his playing ability.
"I believe I'm still the best player, so as long as I believe it, it doesn't really matter," Simmons said. "It's their award. ... I'm not too worried about it. I just want to win. I'm a team guy. I just want my team to do well."
The 6-10 freshman, who is averaging 19.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists this season, was held out of the starting lineup against Tennessee last month for an academic issue.
"Mr. Wooden was a teacher, right? It's a part of it. That's their criteria," Simmons said. "They talk about playing so much then they bring other stuff into it. It is what it is. I'm not fazed by it. I just wanted to win for my team and see how far we could go."
According to Jim Boeheim's book "Bleeding Orange," Syracuse's Carmelo Anthony was the last high-profile player ruled ineligible for the Wooden Award with a 1.8 GPA during his first semester of the 2002-03 season.