Ben Simmons outstanding in LSU win over North Florida Ospreys

Few expected the country’s No. 1-ranked freshman to register the stat line he produced Wednesday in the Tigers’ 119-108 win over North Florida.

LSU, who fell to Charleston, 70-58, on Monday night, their third-consecutive loss, is 3-3 on the young season, while North Florida, who defeated Trinity Baptist, 80-72, on Monday night, is now 6-2.

When LSU won the Ben Simmons recruiting sweepstakes, it was expected he’d put up big numbers on a nightly basis. He also added seven assists and five steals to his remarkable return from a three-game skid on the road.

LSU is 3-3 on the season and the Tigers are looking to rebound from a tough month of November, beginning Wednesday evening with a matchup against the North Florida Ospreys in the Maravich Assembly Center. He had 18 points at halftime, a quick six in the first minute of the second half.

Simmons is now averaging 16 points, 15 rebounds and 5.8 assists in seven college games with his play drawing comparisons to Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James. This kind of performance does not need to be the norm for LSU to win, but it felt like the home crowd was climbing out of this recent slump with Simmons, and the rest of the team, with every made bucket.