Thirty-seven coaches flocked to a 5:45 a.m. workout at Vermont Academy on Tuesday to check out Simi Shittu, the 6-foot-8 power forward.
Kentucky’s John Calipari, North Carolina’s Roy Williams, South Carolina’s Frank Martin, Notre Dame’s Mike Brey, Arizona’s Sean Miller and Vanderbilt’s Bryce Drew were all in the building.
Shittu recently listed Kentucky, South Carolina, Arizona, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oregon, Vanderbilt, New Mexico, ASU, and UConn as his top ten schools.
Shittu spoke about the seven schools working the hardest for his recruitment this summer. Kentucky, Arizona, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, and Arizona State were among the schools that are in his top ten. He broke down each of them:
Kentucky: “They produce a lot of pros. Coach [John Calipari] is a good coach. It’s more of a business-type environment.”
Arizona: “It’s a really nice campus. They have a lot of pros too. My friend Emmanuel Akot goes there. He’s there this year, so he and I talk about it a lot.”
North Carolina: “They just won the national championship. They also have a nice campus as well. It’s a learning environment.”
Vanderbilt: “They’re a rising program. They want me to come and play right away. They have nice facilities and develop their guys.”
Notre Dame: “Same thing as Vanderbilt. They’ve been recruiting me since freshman year.”
Arizona State: “They have a good head coach, a good campus, and James Harden went there. I also like that they win a lot in their conference.”
Shittu currently does not hold an offer from Kentucky but said he hopes to receive one in the future. When asked about what he’s looking for in a school, Shittu told D1VISION, “The best fit, where I can make an impact right away. I’m looking for a school that can get me to the pros after my freshman year.”
According to 247Sports, Shittu is ranked as the No. 8 overall player in the Class of 2018 and the No. 1 player from the state of Vermont. Despite no timetable on a commitment, Shittu will be taking visits soon, as he said, “I’m probably going to take two visits in the fall, two or three. Then, after the season, I’m not sure.”
Playing with CIA Bounce on the Nike EYBL Circuit, Shittu averaged 20.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, in 16 games played, leading him to being named to the All-EYBL Second Team. In three games at Peach Jam, Shittu averaged 20 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
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