Five-star Class of 2018 guard Anfernee Simons, a 6-foot-4 prospect out of IMG Academy in Bradenton (Fla.), is bypassing college and making himself available for the 2018 NBA Draft.
"After discussing the matter with my parents, I have decided to forego the opportunity to play in the NCAA and to instead enter the NBA Draft," Simons said in a statement through his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Bobby Petriella. "I am very thankful for the support I received at IMG Academy and from the NCAA coaches who recruited me. I am ready and excited to pursue my dream of playing in the NBA."
Simons originally committed to Louisville during his recruitment but decommitted in September in the wake of Rick Pitino's ouster. Simons kept his college options open in the aftermath and took several official visits, including to Tennessee and NC State, however the path to the NBA was one he ultimately decided on.
Nearly all high school players aren't eligible to blaze Simons' path, but his case is an exception: the top 10 prospect will turn 19 before the NBA Draft and was a fifth-year student at IMG, which meets the NBA's requirements to become eligible in the draft.
Simons is a projected top-15 pick in CBS Sports' Gary Parrish's latest mock draft and many believe he won't make it out of the first round given his talent, upside and ability to play both ends of the floor at a high level.
