Ben Simmons is being wasted by LSU: US reaction of Aussie star

HOW can a player this good get lumped with a team this bad? Ben Simmons is being wasted by LSU and it could get ugly real quick.

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 24: Ben Simmons #25 of the LSU Tigers passes the ball against North Carolina State Wolfpack at Barclays Center on November 24, 2015 in Brooklyn borough of New York City. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

BEN Simmons could be lost from college basketball’s March Madness and fans are up in arms.

Simmons has only reinforced his status as the future No. 1 pick at the 2016 NBA draft this season while his team has reinforced its status as a pedestrian basketball school.

A number of American news agencies have declared contempt for LSU, with its sloppy start to the season putting the Tigers in real danger of missing college basketball’s biggest event: the NCAA Division I basketball championships.

It is a very real possibility that the biggest star in college hoops will not even get to play in its showpiece tournament.

Nobody is blaming the 19-year-old Aussie, either.

ESPN’s Eamonn Brennan said it is “criminal” that LSU hasn’t supported its biggest star since Shaquille O’Neal.

“Through eight games, Simmons is averaging 19 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. He’s shooting 50 per cent from the field,” Brennan wrote.

“His game is a walking, breathing best-case scenario, a mix of unstoppable athletic talent and brilliant basketball understanding and almost impossible passing polish.

“His reputation among NBA people has only grown. If he was already a sure-fire No. 1 overall pick, he is now a franchise-altering future All-Star.

The kid is good.

“That’s the good news for LSU. The bad news, unfortunately, is everything else.”

He goes on to accuse Simmons’ teammate of “not rebounding or defending”.

He writes Synergy Scouting Data ranks LSU 343rd out of the 347 NCAA Division I schools for opposition scoring on spot-up plays designed to isolate a shooter.

The stats also show LSU aren’t rebounding. At all.

LSU grabs just 32.8 per cent of defensive rebounds — ranked 254th in NCAA Division I.

“Normally, that number would be bad in and of itself. For LSU, it’s downright criminal, because Simmons happens to be awesome at rebounding the basketball,” Brennan wrote.

“It should be impossible for a player to be this good while his team is this bad.”

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Eisenberg said Simmons is on his way to following in LeBron James’ footsteps by never playing in the March Madness tournament.

The Tigers’ uninspiring 4-4 record means they face an uphill battle to qualify.

Somebody, help the man.

“In addition to his elite athleticism, impeccable court vision and ability to make plays with the ball in his hands in the open floor, Ben Simmons may soon have something else in common with LeBron James — the transcendent LSU freshman also may never play in the NCAA tournament,” Eissenberg wrote.

“Either the Tigers salvage their season by finishing in the SEC’s upper echelon, or Simmons will have to settle for being the highest scoring player in this year’s NIT (National Invitational Tournament for the best teams that don’t qualify for the NCAA Division I playoff).”

USA Today’s Jason McIntyre said Simmons’ likely omission from the college championship in March is a big loss for fans.

“The Tigers will need a miracle to reach the NCAA Tournament,” he said.

“That’s terrible for college basketball.

“Hey superstar recruit, I know you want to forge your own path at a school you grew up loving, but the reality is you’ve got to come to Kentucky/Kansas/Perennial Top 10 team if you want a shot at the Title.”

Simmons’ LSU are in action on Thursday AEDT when they take on Gardner Webb in Baton Rouge.