Jared Simmons produces for unbeaten Boys Basketbal

Friday, January 29, 2016

EWINGTON — The drill was to go up and back without losing your dribble — with three basketballs. "Growing up, that was my least favorite drill of all; it was very tough," Newington guard Jared Simmons said. "You start by bouncing one ball in the middle and then get the other two going with your hands. You have to dribble them all and then go up and back." Simmons said the training was hard at first, as balls bounced off one another and rolled away. But with practice and his natural ability, he soon became adroit at dribbling all the balls in sync. "In competition, that three-ball drill has helped me keep the ball close to me and in control," he said. "Once I got the hang of it, it was easy." When the ball is in Simmons' hands, he directs the game for Newington (12-0), No. 5 in The Courant's state ratings, with a mix of ease, creativity and flair. Simmons, a 6-foot-1, 160-pound junior, averages 20.1 points and 7.1 assists. He had 32 and 10 at East Hartford, and 25 and 10 against Wethersfield on Friday, when he surpassed 1,000 career points (1,014) in a 73-71 double-overtime victory. lRelated Boys Basketball: Newington Making A Statement An assist, whether it's to an open player, on a pass threaded through a small opening or a no-look dish to a streaking teammate, gives him more joy than a three-pointer. "I like getting my teammates involved and how they get better energy," Simmons said. "I like to see them happy. When they get going, our fans get into it more, and the whole atmosphere is a lot better." Newington, which returned its entire lineup from an 18-5 team, is No. 1 in the unofficial rankings for the Class L Tournament. The Indians feature balanced scoring with junior swingman Nick Guadarrama (12.5), senior forward Pablo Ortiz (10.8), senior guard Connor Buckley (8.0) and senior forwards Brett Frank (8.4) and Dante Phillip (6.7). Their top rebounders are Ortiz (11.7), Frank (10.1), Phillip (7.2) and Guadarrama (7.1). Ortiz had 17 rebounds and 15 points in a 70-58 win against New Britain on Jan. 14. lRelated Boys High School Basketball Fabulous 15 Boys High School Basketball Fabulous 15h Newington plays best with Simmons as the conductor on offense. "He's right up there; he's a special player," coach Scot Wenzel said. "He has great court vision. He's not just a shooter or one who slashes to the basket. He's a great passer and unselfish. When someone is open, he usually makes the right decision." One foundation in his development was playing in grades 5 and 6 and part of 7 at St. Brigid School in West Hartford. His teammates included Jaecee Martin, KeAndre Fair and Chaylyn Martin, current players at Weaver-Hartford. "I saw his potential in the fourth grade, and it was important for him early to play against better competition, like at St. Brigid," said James Simmons, Jared's older brother and a former Newington player who has been an assistant at Newington since 2010. Weaver coach Reggie Hatchett has seen Jared Simmons' progress. "He always has been athletic and has an extremely big heart," said Hatchett, a former AAU coach of Simmons. "He's a white kid who was not afraid of playing in urban gyms. That helped his game and his toughness." Simmons has heard his detractors. "Like, 'You're too skinny,' 'You're not fast enough,' 'You can't jump,' 'You can't play,'" he said. "It just made me more determined." No matter the season, you'll typically find Simmons at some court. This past summer, he and James worked out and played in the area, and Jared also played AAU ball for the New England Playaz and New York Lightning. "Whether we're driving south to play, or if our schedules allow it during our season, we'll just go watch a great game somewhere else in the state," James Simmons said. Jared wants to see and play quality basketball. He credits his brother with guiding him. "He wants me to be the best player I can be," Jared said. "He's on the Internet to look for new drills; that's how he found that three-ball one." It's all been done to improve Simmons' game, and most important to him, to help his teammates. Simmons has reflected every day on how the team felt after a 61-55 loss to Wilbur Cross-New Haven in a Class L second-round game last season. "Some people in school said we choked and stuff; that just added more fuel to the fire," Simmons said. "We were heartbroken after Wilbur Cross. We don't want to feel that way again. This season there are no letdowns, and we all pick each other up. We see the bigger picture, the CCC and the states. That's where we want to be." Courtesy of the Hartford Courant

Monday, January 25, 2016
Boys Basketball looks to keep focused
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Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Zach Tinkham sparks Boys Basketball
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