Is Ben Simmons the next LeBron James?

Since moving to the United States a year and a half ago, Ben Simmons has become one of the hottest high school prospects in the country. The Australian native has made a significant impact on one of the best high school basketball teams in the country and is hoping to carry his success onto the next level. The number one overall recruit has shown the world that he is worth the scholarship and is regarded as the highest prospect since Kobe Bryant.

So what makes Simmons so special?

The 6 foot 9 inch power forward from Montverde, Florida has turned Montverde Academy from an incredible basketball team to an almost unbeatable basketball team. Averaging 28 points, 4 assists, and 12 rebounds, Simmons produces offensive numbers that most high school recruits only dream of. Simmons' sensational play earned him rewards such as named to the McDonald All-American game, a finalist for the Naismith Boy Player of the Year Award, and NBA top 100 camp MVP.

 Simmons has been compared to players like LeBron James and Paul George, and continues to prove why. His lightning speed can outrun most guards and at 6’10 has a jump shot that is practically impossible to stop. Simmons runs the fast break with perfection and loves to crash boards and push the ball. This high flying forward plays much like LeBron in his early years with the Cavs. Besides his questionable three point shot, Simmons doesn’t lack at any part of his game. His outstanding defense combined with his speed allows him to play practically any position, averaging 2.6 steals and 1.5 blocks a game. The biggest challenge for Simmons when playing in Australia was his size. However, since entering the states, Simmons has reached an attractive 225 pounds without diminishing his speed.

So what’s next for this highly talented recruit?

As the number one recruit in the country, Simmons had a lot of options on where to continue his basketball career. Narrowing his schools down to Kansas, LSU, Ohio State, and Florida, Simmons started to make it clear he was going to LSU almost immediately after his visit in October of 2013. Although some talk lingered on whether or not Simmons would play for the Australian Pro League next season or in the NCAA, it seemed pretty clear that he would be a Tiger in 2015. On November 12, 2014 Simmons signed his letter of intent with LSU. LSU isn’t usually the first choice for number one recruits. Whether the fact that his godfather, David Patrick, is the assistant head coach or that he truly fell in love with the school will continue to be asked. According to Simmons though, he just felt like LSU was the school for him, stating, “I usually go with my first instinct, and as soon as I visited LSU, it just felt like the place I was supposed to be.”

Following the current trend of top recruits; Simmons isn’t expected to stay at LSU longer than his freshmen year before entering the NBA draft. Although it’s his decision on how long he stays at the school, his best bet may be to continue the one and done trend. Many mock drafts have Ben as the first overall pick in the 2016 draft to numerous teams. These mock drafts have him, along with three other high school seniors as the top four picks in the 2016 draft but rank Simmons atop the list.

As it looks right now, any team would love to have Simmons on their team. He looks like an instant starter and the next big star in the NBA. Again, watching Ben Simmons is almost like watching LeBron pick apart teams in his early career.

No one knows what will happen to this up and coming baller or how his time at LSU will pan out. However, the way it looks right now, Ben Simmons is going to be one of the biggest names in basketball for a long time.