Former MaxPreps National Player of the Year Ben Simmons goes No. 1 in NBA Draft

By Staff Report Jun 23, 2016, 12:00am

New Philadelphia 76er led Montverde Academy to 62-1 record during his time at Florida school.

Video: Ben Simmons high school highlights
Australia native was the 2014-15 MaxPreps National Player of the Year.

Ben Simmons became the first former MaxPreps National Player of the Year to go No. 1 in the NBA Draft on Thursday night since Greg Oden was taken with the top pick in 2007.

The Philadelphia 76ers are pinning their hopes on the 6-foot-9 forward, who spent a year at LSU after winning MaxPreps POY at Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) following the 2014-15 season.

Simmons' arrival at Montverde Academy in 2013 signaled the beginning of one of the most successful runs in high school basketball history.

With Simmons on the floor, the Orlando-area program accumulated a record of 62-1, captured three Dick's Nationals crowns and earned national championship recognition from multiple media outlets three years in a row.



As a senior at Montverde Academy, the new 76er tallied 27.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as the Eagles went 31-1 and finished the season ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps.
Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Graphic by Ryan Escobar