Australian Boomers teen Ben Simmons on track for the NBA

IF the NBA didn't have an age limit, Ben Simmons could have been a year away from the NBA draft.

Instead, his slightly older friend Dante Exum is flying the Australian flag in this month's draft, while the 17-year-old Simmons keeps developing his game both in Melbourne and at his American high school, Montverde Academy, in Orlando, Florida.

High hopes: Ben Simmons with coach Kevin Goorjian.Credit: Eddie Jim

Simmons, who scored his first points for the Australian Boomers with a steal and dunk against New Zealand last August, will begin his senior year in August and is still in contention to make the Boomers’ FIBA World Cup side in September.

He won't be eligible to enter the NBA Draft until 2016 – although several respected basketball people in Australia believe he wouldn't embarrass himself at that level now.

Instead he has committed to play at Louisiana State University starting in late 2015 where his godfather David Patrick is an assistant coach.

Simmons presently stands at 206 centimetres and by all reports is still growing, those who know him would also note he continues adding muscle to his trunk and shoulders.

He is the son of former Melbourne Tigers NBL import Dave Simmons.

Simmons is left-handed, leaps high above the rim but also sees passes and dribbles the ball like a guard; when you press him for a favourite position, he says either small forward and power forward.

That's basketball code for "I'll play where I want".

After being invited to camp by Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis last year, Simmons admits he was shocked to join Exum in the Boomers' side for two matches against New Zealand.

Simmons will tell you the older players pushed him around, but Lemanis told Sports Illustrated he was convinced to pick Simmons after watching him block a teammate's shot against the backboard then lead a fast break the other way.

“When I tried to drive to the ring, Joe Ingles just pushed me off. He doesn't look that strong but physically he is strong. When I tried to drive, he just bumped me and I was out of the lane," Simmons said.

When he went back to Montverde, Simmons found training and games seemed softer and slower, his taste of international basketball showed him exactly where he had to improve.

Both Simmons and Exum also had a sample of what the off-court life with a professional side would be like.

"One morning me and Dante went down to breakfast and they were all talking about their kids – we looked at each other like 'we are kids'," Simmons said.

Simmons made a big leap in his game after joining Box Hill Senior Secondary College's basketball academy in year nine.

He credits the school and coach Kevin Goorjian for preparing him for the "college like" system of training and academics at Montverde, a private school coached by Kevin Boyle who developed current NBA stars Kyrie Irving and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Simmons joined Montverde midway through last year and played the final few games of the season, facing off with the best US high school players as Montverde won the national title.

This past season Simmons became one of his team's stars as it again won the national title in a game at New York's iconic Madison Square Garden.

Simmons had 24 points and 12 rebounds and his performance was screened live around the world by ESPN. It took his stature to the next level.

"Recently life has been kind of a blur," Simmons said when talking to The Age at Box Hill on Wednesday.

“Playing at places like Madison Square Garden – it's kind of crazy but you also get a little used to it [the big stadium] because we played there last year."

ESPN's latest player rankings has him as the No.2 high school player in America.

It's a big achievement and adds to his growing fame with one of his YouTube highlights videos gaining more than 91,000 views.

"Living in Orlando, it's big but it's small as well," Simmons said.

"After playing at Madison Square Garden and having some games in ESPN you might go to the mall and have a few kids come up to you.

"It's cool – it's not too celebrity like that but I get a little attention."

That fame has spread to Melbourne; he had only been home for a handful of days before being spotted.

"Earlier today I was at the post office and I had some kids come up to me and say "You're Ben Simmons, I've seen some of your videos," Simmons said with a smile.

Goorjian, brother of Basketball Australia hall of fame coach Brian Goorjian, said Simmons had the drive to take his game to the highest level.

"The key for Ben is just that he doesn't want to waste any days, he just wants to get better every day and that is what he is doing," Goorjian said.

"I think he sees the picture and as the Boomers stuff comes along he knows what he has to do to get there and he is putting everything in place."

Simmons played with his old high school against Victoria University's Academy in a practice game on Wednesday and dominated, throwing down three powerful dunks despite having trained and lifted weights in the previous days.

Students from the school crowded in the tiny basketball court including many of the footballers from the school's AFL academy, future footy stars turned to fan-boys in Simmons' presence.

As one student put it – "I want to see him dunk on someone" – soon after Simmons did just that, dunking over three hapless opponents.

Goorjian isn't surprised at Simmons' popularity. Neither is Basketball Australia which already uses his image on its website.

"Social media has changed everything," Goorjian said.

"Everybody knows what Ben is doing, all his high school games are on TV over there and they are live-streamed by the school as well – he is well known already."

Simmons is back home for part of his US summer holidays. He plans to catch up with his mates, spend time with his family but most importantly he has an intense workout program of weights and skill work which he began the day he arrived in Melbourne.

Goorjian worked with Andrew Bogut as a teenager and former Boomers captain Jason Smith at NBL level. "I see those same qualities in Ben – you want him to get all he can from this game," he said.

Exum is expected to a high pick in the NBA Draft on June 27 and Simmons will be watching proudly – and taking mental notes.

"I talk to Dante a lot on Skype – I just ask him how it all works because it's so different to anything else," Simmons said.

"It's not every day one of your close friends is going to the NBA as a top-five pick – that's crazy."

So what about Simmons' own NBA dreams, does he dare look ahead a few years?

"It's hard not to think about it when people tweet about it or talk to you about it," Simmons admitted.

"But I try to keep it away – you don't ever want to say I will be going here or there – you just keep working because you never know what could happen in the next year or two.

"I just try to focus on the next day – make sure I'm doing whatever I can to get better."

With an attitude like that, 2016 will be here in no time.