LSU freshman standout Ben Simmons has been ruled ineligible to be a finalist for the John Wooden Award, which is given to the nation’s top player every season. Simmons was listed on a recent list of 20 finalists but was exempt from the most recent list of 15 finalists.
ESPN reported that Simmons was left out because of academic reasons:
“From what I was told, he didn’t meet all of the requirements,” Tigers coach Johnny Jones told ESPN. “He wasn’t certified by the school to be on the ballot.”
LSU spokesman Kent Lowe confirmed to ESPN that Simmons “did not have the necessary criteria to be eligible.”
Here are the two academic-related points of criteria for Wooden Award candidates:
Candidates must be full-time students in an accredited NCAA college or university.
Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and aspirations. All candidates must have a cumulative 2.0 grade point average since enrolling in their current university.
The Wooden Award is the only postseason accolade with academic requirements. LSU visited Kentucky this afternoon and Wildcats fans let Simmons hear about it:
Below are the 15 finalists for the Wooden Award:
Brice Johnson, North Carolina
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
Georges Niang, Iowa State
Grayson Allen, Duke
Jakob Poeltl, Utah
Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
Josh Hart, Villanova
Kay Felder, Oakland
Kris Dunn, Providence
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
Melo Trimble, Maryland
Perry Ellis, Kansas
Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
Simmons is the projected no. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. He’s averaging 19.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists this season.
