LSU freshman Ben Simmons says he is declaring for NBA draft

(AP) — LSU freshman forward Ben Simmons, who led the Tigers in scoring, rebounds and assists this season, says he is leaving the Tigers to turn pro.

Simmons, who made his announcement in an interview published Monday by ESPN, says he will soon hire an agent and enter the NBA draft, for which Simmons has been widely projected as a top overall pick.

After making the NCAA Tournament the season before Simmons arrived, the Tigers finished this season 19-14, missing the tourney after failing to reach 20 victories for the first time in three years.

LSU might have had a chance to reach the 20-victory mark in a post-season tournament such as the NIT, but Jones announced pre-emptively that the Tigers would not accept any invitations to post-season tournaments after they'd failed to receive a bid to the NCAA tournament.