Ben Simmons Ineligible For Wooden Award For Academic Reasons According to ESPN

Ben Simmons, LSU’s one-and-almost-done super-freshman, is not a Wooden Award finalist. Simmons, who is averaging 19.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, is apparently ineligible for “academic-related reasons.” Via ESPN:

"“From what I was told, he didn’t meet all of the requirements,” Tigers coach Johnny Jones told ESPN. “He wasn’t certified by the school to be on the ballot.” LSU spokesman Kent Lowe confirmed to ESPN that Simmons “did not have the necessary criteria to be eligible.”"

Candidates must keep a 2.0 GPA.

LSU plays Kentucky Saturday afternoon and will then head to Nashville for the SEC Tournament. Hopefully, Simmons isn’t so preoccupied with getting his grades up that he is too distracted to lead LSU to a strong finish to their season.