Nov. 11, 2009
SEATTLE - University of Washington men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar announced that Desmond Simmons of Richmond, Calif. has signed a letter of intent and is expected to enroll in time for the 2010 fall academic quarter. "Desmond Simmons is his own guy but he in a lot of ways reminds us of Bobby Jones because he brings a lot of energy into the game," said Romar. "His motor is always running at a high level and he is tough - both mentally and physically. He will bring a dimension to our team that we are maybe lacking a little bit. He also understands what being on a team is all about and he'll be a leader for us before too long." Simmons, currently a senior at Salesian High School, helped lead his team to the Northern California Division IV championship as a junior in 2008. He scored 31 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the championship game, which capped a 31-4 season for his team. The 6-foot-7 Simmons averaged 18.2 points and 12.6 rebounds per game as a junior according to his high school coach Bill Mellis. Simmons has 1,323 career points and should eclipse Salesian's career scoring record early in the season. "We're very excited for Desmond," said Mellis of Simmons, who was the 2009 All-East Bay Player of the Year and Bay Shore Athletic League Most Valuable Player. "He has worked really hard over the years and it has been a lot of fun to coach him and see the progression he has made since he first came to our school to now." He is rated as the No. 25 power forward in the nation by Scout.com and the No. 44 small forward by ESPN.com. Simmons was also honorable mention in the Long Beach Press Telegram's Best in the West poll. Desmond Simmons Bio |
