Simon pleased with summer performance
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Arizona commit Justin Simon is one of the standouts who locked into a decision pretty early in the recruiting season. His commitment to Arizona is firm, and he is excited to join the team next year.
A common theme among players that make their college decisions early is that some tend to perform at a lesser rate during events like adidas Nations, but Simon makes it his goal to play as hard as he can every game.
"I think there is a bigger target on my back now," Simon told GOAZCATS.com. "There's a lot of kids that come out this time of year that want to make a name for themselves and earn scholarship offers, and I just want to keep working as if I was on the other side of things and it keeps me motivated."
Last week at the adidas Nations event in Garden Grove, Calif., Simon really played to his strengths. He is flourished in transition and frustrated opposing guards with his length and defensive savvy.
In his first three games, the young guard is averaged 14.3 points per game and he recorded multiple steals in each game.
The summer recruiting period is hectic for a lot of the prospects, but the California native finds the period helpful for his game.
"I feel like I have improved my game over the summer," Simon said. "A lot of people question my jumper, so I made it my goal to show that I have improved from that standpoint and I have started to knock down more jump shots.
"I stay more aggressive and try not to be too passive. Defense is one of my strengths and I feel that I am defending pretty well right now."
Simon knows that he is going to a program where the expectations are high-win seasons and deep tournament runs, but he is ready to embrace the challenge.
"I personally want to accomplish my dreams and play for a Final Four, that's my biggest goal," Simon said. "I want to also get better as person and as a player and become a man and that's another main reason why I picked Arizona."
Simon currently remains a top-25 recruit in the class of 2015 according to Rivals.com. He joins fellow five-star talents Ray Smith and Allonzo Trier as the three Arizona commits for Sean Miller's program. Smith is rated as the 10th-best prospect in the class, while Trier currently holds the No. 12-spot in the rankings.
Click Here to view this Link.Joseph Duruaku
GOAZCATS.com Staff Writer