The college basketball season is less than a month old, and the biggest storyline of the year may just be more of an off the court, promotional issue more than anything else. Unless you have gotten really lucky or don’t watch a lick of college basketball, then you have probably heard the same old mantra about Ben Simmons when you are watching LSU play on an ESPN network.
“He is the best player in college basketball.”
“He is going to be the No. 1 pick next spring.”
“He’s reminiscent of LEBRON JAMES.” (No, that is not a typo.)
Of course, I am paraphrasing these statements, but at least one of these types of statements will be mentioned in any LSU game that ESPN is covering. And of course, it makes perfect sense on ESPN’s part.
Well, to say that ESPN’s hyperbolic stances on Ben Simmons “makes perfect sense” would be just as hyperbolic on my part as well. That said, the reasoning behind their obsession with the teenager is does make some sense to why ESPN is hyping Ben Simmons.
The Theory: ESPN is trying to drill Ben Simmons’ greatness into their viewers’ heads to justify their 2015 recruiting rankings.
Deep breath.
For one, it is still unclear to me why ESPN would feel the urgent need to do this. They were not the only major site to rank Simmons as the No. 1 player in the 2015 class — 247Sports did as well. There is not a sense of pressure to make themselves not look like fools to the public eye.
The network is very egotistic, though. I mean, this is the same site that allowed NBA Draft Insider Chad Ford (or someone on the ESPN team, who knows) to change his previous mock drafts to make them more “accurate” to how the prospects have developed.
There was some late controversy when it came to the class of 2015 and recruiting rankings. Kentucky freshman center Skal Labissiere made a late push to overtake Simmons as the consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2015, but ESPN held their ground by keeping Simmons in the No. 1 slot. 247Sports would do the same thing, but Scout and Rivals both moved Labissiere above Simmons in their class rankings. It is almost like ESPN is vulnerable or unsure about their own ranking. In return, they have to convince themselves, as well as their audience, of their own assessment.
Simmons has become ESPN’s baby, and one that they are trying help gain as much exposure as much as possible.
It is also important to point out that the 2015 class was infamously weak this year when it came to talent. In the world of One-And-Done’s dominating college basketball airwaves, how was ESPN going to market the sport without multiple “can’t miss” freshman? Hitching their wagon to Simmons was the answer for the folks in Bristol and they have not been shy about it.
Chip Miller, a recruiting analyst I respect very much, of 247Sports and ZagsBlog.com agreed with my theory via Twitter:
@BLUEChip_Miller Makes sense on their end. The more they drill that notion into their viewers heads, the better their 2015 rankings look.
— Bailey VanHouten (@LWOSVanHouten) November 24, 2015
Absolutely correct … https://t.co/ydxblo50ta
— Chip Miller (@BLUEChip_Miller) November 24, 2015
ESPN has really run itself in circles when it comes to Ben Simmons. Their biggest mistake has undoubtedly been the ridiculous statements they make during games.
To call Simmons the best player in college basketball is mere opinion at this point in the season and should not be stated without mentioning other deserving names like Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine, Providence’s Kris Dunn, or Duke’s Grayson Allen.
Then to top it off, they proclaim Simmons as the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft… in NOVEMBER. Let’s not forget that Jahlil Okafor was basically a lock to go No. 1 overall at this time last year. He ended up sliding to No. 3, and pretty easily.
To compare Simmons to a player like LeBron James is so ridiculous that I am just going to ignore the statement and move on.
It’s important to move on because my final point is the most important one: Ben Simmons is the biggest loser in all of this.
Sure, most people would kill to be talked about on Sportscenter every other hour, but all of the publicity is starting to turn casual fans against Simmons.
I've been watching the ESPN college hoops marathon for a bit now & I can't figure out why they haven't mentioned Ben Simmons #saidnooneever
— Erica (@millie2981) November 17, 2015
https://twitter.com/bdapore/status/666452187711676416
espn already over hyping this ben simmons kid, he made simple passes and espn trying to act like they was the greatest plays ever lol
— DY (@d_young89_) November 14, 2015
It is not fair to him, as it is a situation that is completely out of his control. The Aussie is a good player, too. It’s not like this is some scrub that ESPN is trying like hell to publicize. He is an instant double double player at the college level, and has great vision for a freshman. He is one of the best players in the country right now and could very well be the No. 1 pick come spring. The best thing for ESPN to do is just let Ben Simmons be Ben Simmons.
