College basketball: An evaluation of Ben Simmons versus Skal Labissiere

#5 And the winner is....

Ben Simmons, despite foul trouble, was the clear winner over Labissiere.

Just like the final score was a blowout, the battle between potential top five picks in the 2016 NBA draft was also a blowout for LSU’s Ben Simmons. It was more than just stats too, though Simmons blew Labissiere out of the gym in that realm too.

Simmons just looks much more comfortable on the court, moving with confidence in his skill and position. Skal, on the other hand, looked like he had to process each move before he made it, and if LSU sped the game up on either end of the court, he became a little overwhelmed.

While Simmons seems to be on his way to a potential first pick in the draft, right now his only competition for that spot seems to be Duke’s Brandon Ingram. Labissiere could see himself drop out of the top 10 if he does in fact declare for the draft.

This does not mean that he will in any way, one rough game isn’t going to determine his draft stock, and it is telling that Draft Express still has him ranked number five on it’s big board, but Skal has some work to do to get his on court game to match what many project his potential to be. These two play again on March 5th so be sure to tune in.