Kobi Simmonsβ short and inconsistent Arizona basketball career is officially over.
Arizona announced the long-expected decision of the former McDonaldβs All-American to leave as a freshman for professional basketball late Wednesday afternoon, after he dropped to the end of the UA playing rotation over the final month of the season.
His decision came on the same afternoon that Scout.com reported forward Chance Comanche will test the NBA Draft without signing with an agent, an option that allows all underclassmen to get feedback from pro officials and return to school by May 24, if desired.
Simmons, a supremely athletic 6-foot-5-inch guard from Atlanta, started in 19 games and was a major factor in wins over Michigan State in Hawaii and at UCLA. But he lost his starting job to Allonzo Trier on Feb. 8 and slipped further down the bench afterward.
Simmons played just six minutes in UAβs regular-season finale at Arizona State and averaged 6.3 minutes a game between the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments. That includes a 14-minute appearance in Arizonaβs first-round NCAA Tournament win over North Dakota; he played the final minute alongside four walk-ons.
Simmons averaged 8.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Still, heβs projected as a second-round NBA Draft pick because of his size, athleticism and shooting skills. Draft Express projects he will be taken at No. 51, toward the end of the second round.
While Simmons spoke generally about his role during the NCAA Tournament β saying during the first weekend that he was βjust playing hard and doing my jobβ β other interpretations have been offered.
βHeβs looked highly dejected and clearly not on the same page with the coaching staff, which is particularly surprising considering his track-record going into college,β Draft Express president Jonathan Givony wrote on March 23. βNBA scouts like Simmonsβ talent level but have major concerns about his intangibles, especially considering how much development he still needs in terms of his skill level and basketball IQ.β
Givony also noted that the NBAβs new βtwo-wayβ contract will allow him to βmake some decent money while the team that picks him evaluates if he can get his act together in the D-League.β
Two-way contracts essentially allow NBA teams a 16th and 17th spot for players to be mostly assigned to their D-League affiliates with the ability to be shuttled back and forth for a maximum of 45 days in the NBA. They are expected to earn players between $50,000 and $75,000, more than double a typical D-League salary.
Arizonaβs announcement of Simmonsβ departure was quiet in contrast to the way it handled freshman forward Lauri Markkanenβs departure last week. UA held a 10 a.m. news conference on March 30 for Markkanen and streamed it online, timing it for prime-time viewing in Europe.
Simmonsβ announcement was delivered by email after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
βKobi Simmons, with the support of his family, has decided to declare for the 2017 NBA Draft,β UA coach Sean Miller said in the schoolβs statement. βAll of us here at Arizona thank him for his freshman season and wish him continued success as he pursues his professional career.β
In UAβs statement, Simmons said he enjoyed his time at Arizona and thanked his teammates, coaches, and UA fans. He later elaborated on Twitter.
βWeβve grown as brothers through the wars we have been through with everything,β Simmons wrote of his UA teammates. βI am blessed to have the year that Iβve had this season. I would like to thank the fans for all of their support they have given us throughout the year. I would love to thank the people who support me and I would love to thank the haters for motivating me even more!
βWith that being said my family and I have decided to make the best decision for me and my future and I have decided to enter the 2017 NBA Draft. Blessed to have this amazing opportunity!β
Romarβs name surfaces
Former Washington coach Lorenzo Romar may be a strong candidate to replace Joe Pasternack as UAβs associate head coach, if he wants the job after 21 seasons in a head coachβs chair.
Romar did not return a message from the Star, but Scout analyst Josh Gershon went as far as to say it was a matter of agreeing on terms.
βSean Miller wants Lorenzo, and Lorenzo wants the job,β Gershon said.
Romar is already owed a $3.2 million buyout from Washington, according to The Seattle Times. He would likely command at least a mid-six figure salary at Arizona as an associate head coach.
Pasternack, who was named UC Santa Barbaraβs head coach on Tuesday, was paid $302,000 as UAβs associate head coach last season.
Although Miller and Romar had some highly contested battles during Millerβs first few seasons at UA, the two have spoken highly of each other β especially after Miller spent time coaching with USA Basketball junior teams in 2014 and 2015. Romar has been on the USA Basketball Junior Team committee that helps select the U18 and U19 teams.
Landing Romar could strengthen Arizonaβs recruiting ties on the West Coast, where Pasternack was strongest. Arizona has struggled to recruit Pacific Northwest players in part because of Romar excelled at persuading talented Seattle-area players to stay home and play for the Huskies.
βIt certainly gets Arizona back to play in the Pacific Northwest in a way they havenβt since Lute Olson was the coach,β Gershon said. βSeattle had become almost impossible because of the loyalty in that city to Romar.β
Emcee Walton
Lakers coach Luke Walton will emcee an ESPYs-style awards show on April 19 in McKale Center.
The show, known as the βCATSYS,β will feature singer Kelley James and volleyball announcer Chris βGeeterβ McGee. Awards will be given in areas that include athletics, academics and community service.
The event will start at 7 p.m., with floor seats reserved for Wildcat Club members who are silver and above; other seats are free to anyone.
