Every year it’s like clockwork. Someone escapes out of relative obscurity from the state of Virginia and enters himself into a priority, high-major recruitment. Two years ago, it was Chris Clarke that saw his lacking recruitment expand exponentially before selecting Virginia Tech over the likes of Florida, UConn, Creighton, and Tennessee. This past summer, Javin DeLaurier, a rising senior, went from hearing from a few of the regional programs, to setting up official visits to programs such as Texas, Stanford, and Duke. Who might be next year’s version of Clarke and DeLaurier? It wouldn’t be a leap of faith by stating that Aamir Simms is that guy.

A 6-foot-7, do-it-all type, has developed a broad range of ball skills as the face-up forward can lead the break and even facilitate within the half-court setting, has continued to improve his jumper where he can knock down shots now out to beyond the arc, and just like Clarke and DeLaurier, his motor has no off button.

Playing at the Blue Ridge School in Virginia, Simms will now be the face of the program as Mamadi Diakite, a Virginia commit, recently reclassed and will now attend the ACC program this fall. Asked on how the junior forward will fill the void left by the highly versatile Wahoo forward, the productive junior spoke on his goals for the upcoming year. “My goal book hasn’t been written. I chose not to have one but I look at is as something challenging that comes up, I defeat it and turn that into one of my goals at the end of the season because if I set a goal, I don’t want to focus too much on one specific goal. But if I did have one goal, it would be to repeat in states.”

After having moved to Virginia in 2009 where Simms was born in Newark, New Jersey, the active big man has seen a giant uptick in his recruitment. Recently visiting such programs as Penn State, Georgetown, Maryland, and Virginia over the past few weeks, Simms took a visit to Virginia Tech on Monday evening for the Ohio State-Hokies football contest. “It was great,” Simms noted of the visit. “The atmosphere was amazing and the fans were warm and welcoming.”

Having visited the ACC program a number of times, the junior, who runs with the Team Loaded crew during the summer months, seems more than intrigued by the basketball program. “They are on its way to something special. They have a lot of good players and are rebuilding back up to what it used to be.”

With a possible visit to Penn State or Virginia this coming weekend, among the programs that have offered the Blue Ridge star include Kansas State, Clemson, Cincinnati, Providence, Virginia Tech, and VCU. However, there is a group of seven that have stayed in touch more than the others. “USC, Cincinnati, Longwood, Providence, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.”

Still some time away from making a college decision, Simms spoke on what will be the major sells in selecting a college. “Great academics, great relationships with all the coaches on and off the floor, and constantly making the NCAA Tournament.”

With a bevy of quality schools and basketball programs to choose from, it seems that Simms might be the next man up as the face of the state of Virginia in 2017.