PROVIDENCE– It didn’t take long for LSU’s versatile 6-10 freshman forward Ben Simmons top move on with his life once the underachieving Tigers failed to make the 68-team NCAA Tournament field and decided to reject an NIT bid because Keith Hornsby was recovering from a season ending injury and high scoring freshman guard Antonio Blakeney was sick during the conference tournament.

Simmons, who averaged 19.2 points and 11.8 rebounds and has a chance to be the first round draft pick in the NBA, intends to sign with LeBron James’ Klutch Sports Agency and Rich Paul, James’ longtime friend and representative. The move should come as no surprise since Emily Bush, Simmons’ older sister, works for Klutch, which hired her shortly after James and Paul began seriously pursuing Simmons as a client.
Simmons, who led Montverde, Fla, Academy to three straight Dick’s Sporting Goods national Prep Championships, was expected to be the next big thing when he entered college.

He wound up having a more inconsistent year than expected and was eliminated from consideration for the Wooden Award because of academic issues. But we think he is a generational talent who could make the 2016 Australian national team that will plays in the Rio Olympics and eventually become the best Aussie ever, according to veteran NBA center Andew Bogut. There are also reports the Melbourne-born Simmons could net a shoe contract worth more than $100 million dollar in a bidding war between Nike, Under Armour and Adidas.

Murray is expected to train for the draft in either Los Angeles or Cleveland, far from the spotlight of March madness. Simmons will need some strong workouts. NBA Scouts right now are starting to have questions about Simmons’ passion for the game and he has opened himself up for questions about his focus as a shooter. The cracks in his foundation has opened the door for 6-9 freshman forward Brandon Ingram of Duke, who is averaging 16.8 points to steal the No. 1 pick if the Blue Devils advance deep into the NCAA a West Region.

In this year of the Senior in college basketball, there are a number of freshman stars like Simmons who could go in the first round of the draft but never get a taste of the NCAA Tournament.
Here’s five more college freshmen you won’t see in the big dance this month but could all go in the first round of the draft if they declare, according to knowledgeable NBA draft.net

— Dejounte Murray, guard, Washington. The slender 6-5, 170 pound Murray from Ranier Beach, Wash., who averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists, burst onto the scene in the Pac-12 the second half of the season with his electric handle and natural showmanship and elevated himself to Top 10 status after his 34 point performance on 10 for 14 shooting against Arizona. He has the potential to be a lock down defender at the next level. Murray still has some inconsistencies to his game, an inconsistent jump shot and must cut down on turnovers, but scouts think he has an huge upside at his position, surpassed only by Jamal Murray of Kentucky and Kris Dunn of Providence.

— Henry Ellenson, power forward/center, Marquette. the 6-10, 245 Ellenson was an easy choice for the Big East Rookie of the Year. He is a poor man’s Kevin Love who can rebound and spread the floor with smooth offensive skills and length but he has high lottery pick potential. Ellenson averaged 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds for the Golden Eagles, who finished 20-13 after a quarterfinal loss in the Big East tournament and were not selected by the NIT

–.Malik Beasley, guard, Florida State. The 6-5 Beasley averaged 15.4 points and 5-2 rebounds and shot 46.7 percent for the 19-13 Seminoles, who finished 8-10 in the ACC and received an invitation to the NIT. Beasley, who made the ACC All Freshman team, scored in double figures in his first 24 games, then went through a stretch where he averaged just 8.6 in the next five games when the Seminoles went 1-4. In the past three games, Beasly has returned to form, averaging 14.3 points and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.

— Stephen Zimmerman, center, UNLV. This 7-0, 240-pound hometown hero from Bishop Gorman High with a 7-2 wing span chose the Rebels over Kentucky. He entered school with a reputation for being both mobile and skilled. He has been a good rebounds and solid shot blocker, averaging 10.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2 blocks but hasn’t had the season NBA scouts hoped for. The Running Rebels finished 18-15 and a disappointing sixth in the one bid Mountain West during a season filled with upheaval that started with 6-10 sophomore Goodluck Okon transferring and head coach Dave Rice getting fired at mid-season and ended with Zimmerman suffering a sprained knee Feb. 27 that ended his season prematurely.

— Dwayne Bacon, guard, Florida State. The 6-7 Bacon from Lakeland, Fla. and Oak Hill Academy, who led the Seminoles in scoring with a 15.6 point average and grabbed 5.8 rebounds and, like Beasley, made the All ACC Freshman team. He is long, has a point guard handle, lightning quickness in the open floor and is an explosive leaper. But he has struggled with shooting during conference play, making just 39.9 percent of his shots and struggling from the perimeter.