Recruiting Article JUCO guard Simons on committing to Pitt: "It's home for me"

[Chris Peak]

From bouncing around high schools to basketball purgatory to a junior college more than 1,000 miles away, Troy Simons’ path has been circuitous, to say the least.

But now it’s heading in one direction:

Home.

“I committed to Pitt on Saturday night,” Simons told Panther-Lair.com Monday morning. “I talked to Coach (Jeremy) Ballard and Coach (Kevin) Stallings and they were excited to hear that. They said they couldn’t wait to get me on campus.

“It’s home for me and I have family there. That’s the big reason I chose Pittsburgh.”

https://pittsburgh.rivals.com/news/juco-guard-simons-on-pitt-it-s-home-for-me-

 

[R-M-U-h-o-o-p-s-f-a-n]

From bouncing around high schools to basketball purgatory to a junior college more than 1,000 miles away, Troy Simons’ path has been circuitous, to say the least.

But now it’s heading in one direction:

Home.

“I committed to Pitt on Saturday night,” Simons told Panther-Lair.com Monday morning. “I talked to Coach (Jeremy) Ballard and Coach (Kevin) Stallings and they were excited to hear that. They said they couldn’t wait to get me on campus.

“It’s home for me and I have family there. That’s the big reason I chose Pittsburgh.”

https://pittsburgh.rivals.com/news/juco-guard-simons-on-pitt-it-s-home-for-me-

Nice experienced addition to next year's squad.

Coming in as a junior correct??

Go Pitt

 

[Piranha]

He has a similar background to Krauser. These are the kinds of kids we landed in our heyday. Tough, hard nosed kids, with a chip on their shoulder.

 

[Ronnyp91]

Taking 2 online classes in the summer. Hope that means he can be with the team practicing while he does that.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Taking 2 online classes in the summer. Hope that means he can be with the team practicing while he does that.

He can play pickup with them and play in the Pro-Am but he wont yet be a Pitt student so he cant participate in any official team activities such as summer practices until he is a student.

 

[Ronnyp91]

He can play pickup with them and play in the Pro-Am but he wont yet be a Pitt student so he cant participate in any official team activities such as summer practices until he is a student.

Alright that makes sense thanks.

 

[Saboteur]

I like....no....I love his attitude!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I think its funny that Rico Abbodanza, his mentor is wearing a Pitt warm-up while being interviewed in his Simons promo video. Nice to see that Pitt seemed to be the goal for everyone. Would be so cool if it works out for this kid.

Sometimes these kids just slip through the cracks. That kid (forget his name) played at Plum and UPJ a few years ago and is playing professionally in Portugal. He more than held his own in the Pro-Am. I remember talking to his dad and he said the Ivy's wanted him but couldn't give any financial aid because he made too much and UPJ offered a full ride. This kid though obviously a few years too late would easily have started at PG for us this year.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Taking 2 online classes in the summer. Hope that means he can be with the team practicing while he does that.

Online?
I hope we have a tutor sitting next to him or atleast give him a 1 800 online course answers telephone number like the other basketball programs do!

 

[Piranha]

Online?
I hope we have a tutor sitting next to him or atleast give him a 1 800 online course answers telephone number like the other basketball programs do!

A lot of colleges offer online courses.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

A lot of colleges offer online courses.

I know that he just needs to pass the online courses! Somehow and we know how.
The chance of this being a Rhodes Scholar are zero (0) so lets drop the he's coming to PITT because they have the major that he likes!
He just needs to get in, somehow stay in school at PITT, and score a lot of points on the basketball court!

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Interesting, I see Darrelle Porter's son DJ was his teammate at Polk last year and averaged 11.5 (he averaged 21 at Obama Academy). He got a scholarship to St. Francis Brooklyn and averaged 2.5 PPG. So that's not a great sign....if its any sign at all.

 

[R-M-U-h-o-o-p-s-f-a-n]

Interesting, I see Darrelle Porter's son DJ was his teammate at Polk last year and averaged 11.5 (he averaged 21 at Obama Academy). He got a scholarship to St. Francis Brooklyn and averaged 2.5 PPG. So that's not a great sign....if its any sign at all.

Ya SF Brooklyn only won like 5 games all year.

They were terrible lol

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Sometimes these kids just slip through the cracks. That kid (forget his name) played at Plum and UPJ a few years ago and is playing professionally in Portugal. He more than held his own in the Pro-Am. I remember talking to his dad and he said the Ivy's wanted him but couldn't give any financial aid because he made too much and UPJ offered a full ride. This kid though obviously a few years too late would easily have started at PG for us this year.

Nick Novak, from Franklin Regional, not Plum.

 

[Saboteur]

Interesting, I see Darrelle Porter's son DJ was his teammate at Polk last year and averaged 11.5 (he averaged 21 at Obama Academy). He got a scholarship to St. Francis Brooklyn and averaged 2.5 PPG. So that's not a great sign....if its any sign at all.

Who knows. But he averages more than Wilson does for us.

 

[R-M-U-h-o-o-p-s-f-a-n]

Who knows. But he averages more than Wilson does for us.

That is true...

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Interesting, I see Darrelle Porter's son DJ was his teammate at Polk last year and averaged 11.5 (he averaged 21 at Obama Academy). He got a scholarship to St. Francis Brooklyn and averaged 2.5 PPG. So that's not a great sign....if its any sign at all.

Who knows. But he averages more than Wilson does for us.

I wasn't suggesting we should have taken him. Just that his 11 points at Polk translated to 2 PPG for one of the worst D1 teams

 

[Piranha]

I wasn't suggesting we should have taken him. Just that his 11 points at Polk translated to 2 PPG for one of the worst D1 teams

Porter did not start for Polk St. Simons is a 2 year starter, and his stats were a lot better. Porter averaged 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10 minutes at St Francis last year.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I wasn't suggesting we should have taken him. Just that his 11 points at Polk translated to 2 PPG for one of the worst D1 teams

Porter did not start for Polk St. Simons is a 2 year starter, and his stats were a lot better. Porter averaged 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10 minutes at St Francis last year.

I know. Just saying.