It is not uncommon for sporting figures to object to the rankings of athletes, and this week Simmons took issue with the placement, or lack thereof, of Harvard-Westlake senior Trent Perry.
Triggering a significant debate around the credibility of high school basketball recruiting lists, Simmons slammed these lists as “stupid, political, and useless.”
Bill Simmons doubles down on criticism of high school basketball rankings https://t.co/ADk8WIpUon pic.twitter.com/jlIAgyHb5m
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 6, 2024
Being a native of Los Angeles for more than two decades, Simmons claimed that Trent Perry is “one of the best LA high school players” he’s seen.
Nevertheless, Perry consistently seems to miss the cutoff on top-25 prospect lists, a snub that Simmons felt was undeserved.
Perry responded to these concerns not with words, but with his performance on the court. Recently, Perry led his team, Harvard-Westlake, to a 63-59 victory over Roosevelt in the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division state semifinal.
In a game full of thrilling plays, Perry demonstrated his exceptional skills, scoring 28 points.
This victory over Roosevelt, an admired team in the circuit, edged Perry and the Harvard-Westlake team closer to the coveted state finals.
Despite delivering what was arguably the game’s most decisive play, Perry continues to be overlooked by most top-25 prospect lists.
Simmons pointed this out in a tweet saying, “Harvard Westlake advances to the state finals over an excellent Roosevelt team in a nailbiter – Trent Perry with 28 pts and the biggest play of the game. Maybe this will get him on a top-25 list.”
Harvard Westlake advances to the state finals over an excellent Roosevelt team in a nailbiter – Trent Perry with 28 pts and the biggest play of the game (see video). Maybe this will get him on a top-25 list. 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/WDnJicedNx
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 6, 2024
The Harvard-Westlake team, fueled by Perry’s excellent performance, is prepping for their next challenge.
They are due to compete against the Salesian College Prep, a reputed powerhouse from Richmond, in the CIF State Final to be held in Sacramento.
While Perry’s supporters are eager to see him deliver another stellar performance, this game could be pivotal in determining where Perry finally lands on recruiting prospect lists.
