Gardner-Webb Men's Basketball Signs Darryl Simmons II To National Letter of Intent
April 12, 2023 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb men's basketball announced the signing of Darryl Simmons II to a National Letter of Intent to tip off the spring recruiting period.
Simmons, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound point guard, joins the Runnin' Bulldogs after a stellar career at national prep school power Putnam Science (Conn.) Academy.
Simmons is the sixth Putnam Science product to sign with Gardner-Webb since 2017.
"Darryl is a true point guard who is a winner," said GWU head coach Tim Craft. "His ability to distribute the basketball and score is impressive, but his toughness and intangibles will lead to a very productive college career. This is a terrific addition to our program."
Simmons is rated as a two-star prospect by 247Sports.com and as the nation's No. 62 point guard prospect in the Class of 2023. He was rated as the No. 9 senior prospect in Connecticut and as one of the top-25 players in New England.
He chose Gardner-Webb after considering scholarship offers from Bowling Green, St. Bonaventure, UMass, Albany, Bryant and Miami (OH).
Simmons was the lead guard for Putnam Science teams that posted a combined 77-3 record and won a pair of national titles over the past two seasons.
He led the Mustangs to a 39-3 mark as a senior and the program's fourth national title since 2018, averaging 12.8 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game – and shot 94.4 percent from the free throw line.
Simmons led Coach Tom Espinosa's squad to a perfect 38-0 mark and a national title in 2022 as a junior, pouring in 12.1 points to go with 4.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game against top competition.
He finished his career at Putnam Science as the program's all-time leader in made threes (147) and played in 94 games – which is second in program history. Simmons also finished ranked third all-time in steals (137), fourth in assists (336) and seventh in points scored (914).
Simmons starred on the Nike EYBL circuit with a very strong Expressions Elite program – handling lead guard duties on teams that twice advanced to the Peach Jam.
He led the Peach Jam in 2021 with 6.4 assists per game during his summer with the 16U team and averaged 4.7 assists with the 17U squad in 2022.
Simmons is the first signee this spring for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Simmons, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound point guard, joins the Runnin' Bulldogs after a stellar career at national prep school power Putnam Science (Conn.) Academy.
Simmons is the sixth Putnam Science product to sign with Gardner-Webb since 2017.
"Darryl is a true point guard who is a winner," said GWU head coach Tim Craft. "His ability to distribute the basketball and score is impressive, but his toughness and intangibles will lead to a very productive college career. This is a terrific addition to our program."
Simmons is rated as a two-star prospect by 247Sports.com and as the nation's No. 62 point guard prospect in the Class of 2023. He was rated as the No. 9 senior prospect in Connecticut and as one of the top-25 players in New England.
He chose Gardner-Webb after considering scholarship offers from Bowling Green, St. Bonaventure, UMass, Albany, Bryant and Miami (OH).
Simmons was the lead guard for Putnam Science teams that posted a combined 77-3 record and won a pair of national titles over the past two seasons.
He led the Mustangs to a 39-3 mark as a senior and the program's fourth national title since 2018, averaging 12.8 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game – and shot 94.4 percent from the free throw line.
Simmons led Coach Tom Espinosa's squad to a perfect 38-0 mark and a national title in 2022 as a junior, pouring in 12.1 points to go with 4.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game against top competition.
He finished his career at Putnam Science as the program's all-time leader in made threes (147) and played in 94 games – which is second in program history. Simmons also finished ranked third all-time in steals (137), fourth in assists (336) and seventh in points scored (914).
Simmons starred on the Nike EYBL circuit with a very strong Expressions Elite program – handling lead guard duties on teams that twice advanced to the Peach Jam.
He led the Peach Jam in 2021 with 6.4 assists per game during his summer with the 16U team and averaged 4.7 assists with the 17U squad in 2022.
Simmons is the first signee this spring for the Runnin' Bulldogs.
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