Simonds taking game to SEC
D'Marcus Simonds didn't see the need to wait. The Gainesville (GA) High School guard ended his recruitment on Tuesday night by announcing his decision to attend Mississippi State.
The class of 2016 prospect said he knew where he wanted to go and didn't want to prolong the decision-making process.
"I love the coaching staff, it's a good place to be and it's not the biggest place so I can go there and just stay out of trouble," he said. "They are like a family and I feel really close with them. Of all of the schools recruiting me, I feel the closest with them. I can talk to coach Ray about everything. They are really cool people and I feel really comfortable with everything down there."
Mississippi State was the first school to offer him a scholarship, tendering the free ride during Simonds's sophomore year at Buford. Getting in early helped the Bulldogs secure the pledge from Georgia's No. 3 junior.
"That came into play a lot. I was a sophomore when they offered me. It felt really good that they put their trust in me when I was 15," he said. "I built a good relationship with them after that."
The Bulldogs already have a commitment in 2015 from Morgan County guard Tookie Brown, who Simonds has played against for the last couple of seasons. The two have developed a relationship that played a factor in Simonds's decision.
"Me and Tookie are good friends. I talked to him about it. He's a good basketball player and that helped a lot knowing that there is someone there that is just as good and that we can play together," Simonds said. "It helps that he's from Georgia, that we know each other and we can play together."
Simonds said he also considered Florida and Kansas State.