This is pathetic. Fire Lemanis

it will be really disappointing if a veteran like Wortho was picked over him for the final spot

Not surprising at all. Apparently struggled at camp, not at this level yet. He can get more experience next international season and then hopefully will be ready to make a contribution in 2016.

I hoped to see Simmons in the team, but reports indicate he wasn't much of a factor in the camp. He also seemed timid in the Oceania series last year.

It seems like Lemanis might want more versatility in players who can contribute now and doesn't want to use up another spot on potential. Without seeing the final team yet, it's hard to be too critical of Lemanis given the depth of this squad. I'm sure that if Walker or Worthington make the team, with Simmons omitted, people are sure to complain, but Simmons doesn't provide the style of game that either of those guys provide.

IMO Walker impressed in the YouYi series with his hustle, rebounding and athleticism. He could find himself in that pesky undersized mobile 4 kind of role that Worthington has made his own in recent years. Although unlike Wortho, Walker has been hitting the 3. I have only seen Simmons play in the junior World's a couple years ago, and his mixtape videos, so not really enough to compare, which is one reason I hoped he was performing well enough to be selected!

Unless you were there to watch Simmons play in training camp, I think its foolish to criticise Lemanis over this. The guy is an experienced and successful coach and I'm sure he is well aware of what Simmons is, or is not capable of. If he didn't make the team then he probably isn't ready!

It's a shame he didn't make it but not the end of the world. I hope Broekhoff makes the team but have a gut feeling Wortho will make it.
By the time 2016 rolls around expect Simmons to not only be ready but potentially starting

I'm with Beantown. Lemanis is a pretty astute coach.

Simmons is still a boy amongst men. I still would have taken him as 12th man, however I think this points to Jawai and Motum in the final 12, and Broekhoff getting a gig.

For goodness sake he is a 17 yr old boy, he should not even be considered for this level of competition. The fact he is obviously shows he has potential but he is not ready for this yet, people wanting lemanis out because he did not choose to put a child into a mans team need a reality check. Get a grip

he will have more exposure in US college ball and already dominating in some tourneys there. i think they have talked about it thoroughly with Simmon's handler and Lemanis. He's only 17 so he will more chances to join Boomers in the future

If you can't tell that Walker is at this stage stronger than Simmons ... I don't know what to say. (This is not an endorsement of Walker's Boomers prospects).

It's clear that Simmons has a huge future, but as others have said he's still in HS. It's a pity he can't go to college this year given he's already turned 18.

people need to stop using the YouYi games as a predictor of Boomer potential. That chinese team would struggle to win a game in the NBL and few if any of the guys on the aussie youyi teams are of international calibre.

It's unrelated to this roster decision as well, but not enough is being made about the step down in coaching level from Brown to Lemanis. Lemanis is obviously a 3 time NBA champion but Brett Brown is on a whole 'nother level as a basketball mind.

I'm not expecting anything from this world cup. i think you'll see the wrong guys picked and then that team will underperform on top of that.

*nbl

What are you all on about? This is the World Cup we are talking here!..... It's not a development camp! It's about the best players right now and the development can wait for Build up series...... surely!.?

He may be 6'10 and 108kg but he's STILL only 17. He has years ahead of him and he's just not ready for the adult bodies and mindset at worlds.

Is there any chance that Simmons missed out because he wasn't passionate about playing for his country and this is the boot up the butt he needs to focus and get hungry?

6'10 108kgs... He is going to be a beast when he fills out more like his old man

With another year of high school followed by a year in college and maybe next years under19s all to come before Rio there is no doubt he will be ready by 2016.

Armchair experts, unite!

So what if Walker or Wortho are stronger than Simmons....big deal...it still doesnt warrant their selection over him...we know for a fact that Walker and Wortho et al wont get the job done on the intl stage anyway so why not go with Simmons.

Now we will pick walker wortho or gibson over simmons, what a joke

Lemanis has given him every chance because of his potential, even without runs on the board at junior WC, college or club level.

He was in camp last year and got some minutes against NZ and in camp this year. Had Simmons shown he was ready to make some sort of contribution I think he would have been picked because of his huge ceiling.

To post on twitter before the team has been officially announced is not on and shows he is not mentally ready. I am sure the players were told not to post anything on social media no matter how excited or how disappointed they are, no one else has said a word.

As someone posted above he 'will' be good and if he had a poor camp you can't put him in the team because he WILL be good over someone who had a good camp.

So Lemanis, Longley and Gleeson have no idea what they are doing, really people?

Get behind the team as they obviously deserved to be there and give Ben time to mature as there will be plenty of time for him to shine on the International stage when the time is right.

Who says he was ready last year? So what he went to a camp and did the YouYi series. He is a child with a childs mind in a man's body doesn't make him ready now? He needs to do his time as others before him have and when the time is right he will be picked and not before then.

@Spinner:

Basketball Australia doesn't participate in any "build up series" where guys like Simmons can get burn.

If he's not ready, he's not ready, but whoever is getting the minutes at that position has to be able to fill it up from deep or else it's going to be a loooong world cup for this team. I like that Lucas Walker is a bit of a douche and I think this team has too many nice guys so if he's in that could be a good thing. He can't really shoot though, but at least has the athleticism to keep up with international calibre guys.

It's a shame Todd Blanchfield is such a passive non-factor in these camp situations because if he put his mind to it he's exactly what this team needs: a career 40% three point shooter with elite size and athleticism.

If only Walker could shoot it, he'd be a perfect fit, but isn't that the case with pretty much every Aussie player at the moment?

How hard is it to learn how to shoot?

I figured it out when I was 10...

Shame he's not ready, hopefully he returns with a point to prove at his next opportunity.

Mick, all your comments on who can and can't shoot are void until you learn how to read stats!!

Has anyone watched simmons play at Monteverde or all of the prospect camps.
He was MVP in all of them... A potential 2016 number 1 draft pick.
To say a player is better over another because of a few days training is ridiculous.

@Paul: don't blame me, blame the people who are in charge of collating and displaying the stats. If you go on someone's profile on fox sports pulse for example, there are two different in-season sets of statistics for the current season. Go off the NBL website and it's even more of a shemozzle. Is fox sports pulse even the best place to get these numbers?

If i'm not mistaken, the last four seasons saw Waxy shoot 37% (slightly above average but not great), 29%, 22%, and 28%. He's not exactly Stephen Curry, but last season was obviously a big improvement and hopefully it's a portent of things to come and not an outlier.

Where is Walker likely to slot in? Is he quick enough laterally to guard elite wings? Is he big enough to play the 4? Can he seamlessly slide between both positions or is he in no man's land as a 'tweener who can't do both. We really don't know because he's never played top flight international ball before.

And for the record I don't have a problem with Walker's inclusion. He brings a few things to the table that no other guys will at his position (hunger, nastiness, and a willingness to actually dunk the basketball) and I think he should be a good fit.

In this day and age you can never have enough guys on a roster that can play both forward positions. There's no point in carrying too many bigs. Guys like Anderson, Jawai and Baynes can ONLY play the 5 in today's game if you want to win IMO, and they're all going to be picked in all likelihood. It's as stupid as picking three 5 foot 10 point guards who can't play off the ball. You need versatility.

Mick, team's already been announced. No Walker. Baynes, Jawai and Andersen all named.

I really don't know where you look Mick, but follow the links from here and the stats are right there. Click on whatever stat you want at the top and it will reorder for that category:

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/comp_info.cgi?client=0-189-0-276108-0&a=STATS&sgroup=scoring&sgstat=Av%20Pts

@Paul: if you access stats directly via a player's profile, there's all kinds of stupid numbers that pop up. It's pretty amateur. In future I'll make sure to go from the league wide list and not someone's individual profile...

Some ridiculous comments about a young man who is finding his way in the world of basketball and doing a great job of it too....ben seems to use every opportunity to promote Australian basketball he gets and is very proud of where he comes from....If you have been reading any news articles over the past 6 months you should understand that ben simmons has created quite a buzz around aussie basketball...The number 1 college prospect going into 2015 and projected to be the number 1 draft pick in 2016. Many experts said he would have gone top 10 this draft just past....
All I hope is that the kid is not so pissed off the boomers wasted his time that he actually comes back to a Boomers camp next time...

Fair enough Mick, I haven't looked at those, wouldn't surprise me though! Hopefully the new admin will get on top of all that stuff soon enough.

All I hope is that the kid is not so pissed off the boomers wasted his time that he actually comes back to a Boomers camp next time...

It is a waste of his time from the stand point he lives in the US and flew back home to tryout for a team he probably was never going to make...I thought the whole idea of the boomers coach not coaching pro was so he could spend more time doing boomers stuff....After watching these guys all year and working with them do we need a squad of 17....just pick your 12 pick 2 reserves and roll from there...

I think you are underestimating the experience he would have got from attending the camp in the first place, which is all part of his development.

If he is switched on enough (or his dad is in his ear like Exum's is) he will realise this and appreciate the opportunity given to him, whether he made the final team or not.

Hardly a waste of his time.

Given bens potential & that we don't have anyone similar he must hav been very out of sorts during the camp to not get the nod (remembering they can select safe dr size group they like). I know selection is a complex process but I would have assumed if they could hav selected him even for experience they would have.

Simmons is too young when will you get that into your heads, his actions alone off the CRT clearly demonstrate that. As for him travelling to "Australia" for tryouts, that was his choice, at 17 with absolutely no experience at all except high school in America and state here, what realistically did he and his minders expect. Waste of time, I agree with the other poster who sated if he thinks it's been a waste of his time he doesn't deserve a spot at all. He needs to be making himself available for the un19 2015 worlds team, which is appropriate for his experience, showcase himself there and then continue to work hard on his game. Seems perhaps his attitude is going to be his demise if he can't handle disappointment . A world tournament is not a place you take your juniors to 'just for experience', worlds are for winning and every team member has to be accountable and reliable. Save your 'experience' tours for china japan Europe etc, where it doesn't matter if you win or loose with regards to world rankings.

He went to camp, didn't make it, was disappointed but suggested he'd be working hard to make the next one:

#grindtime

He hasn't done anything wrong. And Lemanis picked the best team based on performance and camp showing - also fine. Not seeing any drama here.

"Simmons is too young when will you get that into your heads, his actions alone off the CRT clearly demonstrate that"

Which actions clearly demonstrate What?

Anyone attending the camp offered an assessment of Bens play? Pretty disappointing if there was no media there at all

Seriously a quick google shows Lebron played his first Olympics at 20 and Jordan 21, so two of the best players in modern history had to wait until their twenties to get picked at senior international level at a major tournament.

Simmons will get his chance, he will no doubt surpass the players ahead of him at some stage, just not at 17.

Exums struggles at summer league after coming from playing high school and junior international level competition, should be enough proof of the huge step up to senior ball at the highest level.

He's not ready, simple as that!

'162, you're missing every point people are making.

"Word from camp was both young guys struggled to get much done at that standard, particularly Simmons."

Could reflect the standard of the team & the form of the players rather than the two young guys themselves.

Think 162 is a bit besotted with Ben Simmons, he's too young get it!!!! Get over it

He gets taller and heavier with each post. Up to 115kg if you believe #162.
Was slightly disappointed he didn't make it but well and truly over it.
I don't expect alot from this team if they make final 8 that would be great.

Lemanis, McLeod & Longley collectively know 1 or 2 things about Basketball, I'm sure they made the right decision in regards to the child.

This is bordering on insanity.
Can Dave Simmons please stop posting.

Most people on here are saying the team is too top heavy and now we have #162 / 188 saying they want to swap Gibson for Simmons.
That's a 6'2" 1/2 man for a 7'5' 155KG behemoth who is apparently still growing and will be 9'2 and half a tonne by the time he got to the worlds.


You get my vote for the best post so far hahahahahs

Had Martin made it everyone would have expected it was because Gleeson is on bench. These coaches know there stuff! Simmons time will come & i'm sure they've told him that!

Settle down people...

This is idiotic. Has anyone here seen the guy play a full game? a few pretty highlight tapes against teenagers and you want to say he is already better then seasoned professionals? I am sure if he was 'the man' right now he would have got a roster spot. I am sick of people turning major tournaments into development opportunities... Youyi games and series against new zealand are for that bullshit.

Just wanted to say that the billy Hoyle above is not me, the other Billy Hoyle, a tale of two Billy's............

GWB, it wasnt hard to watch his games from the States you know.

His school Montverde streamed all there home games online, alot of the tournaments he played in for Montverde also were streamed or on ESPN. Then throw in some Nike EYEBL games which you could watch and yeah I think I saw him play 10-15 times. Just because you never bothered to check doesnt mean some of us didnt.

There's a reason why nbadraft has him going as the 2016 no.1 on there mock draft.. but that doesnt mean I'd necessarily have selected him for the Boomers team either, he's playing high school kids and his game right now wouldnt translate as well against professional adults. He can't bully his way inside like he does against High School Kids and he can't fall back on his outside shot since its a work in progress. He just not used to playing against skilled guys as big as him.

Its the same with Thon Maker, people on here here go on about why wasnt he invited.. fact of the matter he would get stomped against adults, he's just to thin.. he played against some adult teams at the Eurocamp recently and he was pushed around. His handler Coach Smith(?) recognised this and mentioned they really need to bulk him up before he could be ready for play against adult competition.

I think come Rio, Ben will be a huge part of the Boomers team, he'll have a full season of the NCAA under his belt with LSU and hopefully a top 5 pick in the 2016 draft. The kid's gonna use this to really work on his game and Im expecting big things from him next season at Montverde

Cue to Handler stepping in:

"That's enough on the matter folks, Andrej has to prepare for a trip to Europe. Thank you".

Need to also consider we have essentially

Exum, Bairstow, Broekhoff, Motum, Goulding and even Jawai who are all taking their first steps at a senior World Cup or Olympic games. While we do have a lot of experience, half our team at this level does not.

Exum is 19, Bairstow straight out of college, while Broekhoff and Motum are only approaching 2 years out of college.

Everyone on this team except Andersen will still be in their prime (or still coming into it) in Rio, and more than half of them will still be in their prime for the 2019 WC and 2020 Olympics.

Rio is in two years, why the hell would a 19 yr old fresh from high school and first year in college ever be looked at as a stater in any Olympic team. Ask your selves this, if Ben Simmons was playing for America would he get a staters spot or even make a team at that age? These people who hark on about Ben Simmons needs to get a grip, let the kid become a man then push his barrow. As mentioned by Paul half this team is still very young and inexperienced but will continue to improve, Simmons will get his time but it won't be now.

It's possible he will start in Rio, but it all depends on how quickly he develops.

Bogut's 2004 Athens starter role as a 19-year-old is a fair comparison. But remember that Bogut had just come off an insanely dominant U19 World Championship performance in 2003 when he won tournament MVP and led the team to gold. In the 2004 team, his main competition was a slowing Rogers (that was when Andersen wasn't impressive for the Boomers and was playing more 4 back then). Also Bogut was averaging about 30ppg in SEABL for the AIS a year or so before Athens.

As promising as Simmons is, he is yet to prove himself in competition above high school level. Hopefully he will be available for the U19s next year and come close to replicating Bogut's 2004 tournament dominance then go on to star on the senior team in Rio. Simmons still has a lot of opportunities to prove himself.

Bogut had also played a year of college ball prior to Athens. Simmons in 2016 will be a fairer comparison to Bogut 2004.

USA Is not a country it would be fair to ever compare anyone else to in Basketball.. they have a monopoly on the game, they will continue to have hundreds of NBA players at any one time while every other country struggles to get half a dozen, if you compiled a world ALL STAR team against Team USA you might have something pretty competitive.. otherwise, on paper, no other team is ever close and the only reason Spain competes is due to team chemistry and continuity.

So, when asking questions like "would a 19 year old straight out of college make team USA starting line up".. the answer is blindingly obvious.. absolutely not. But we are talking about a country where you could send their C or D team and they would still be gold medal favourites. If we are going to make these comparisons we should be fair on ourselves. "Would a 19 year old straight of college make the starting line up of Spain?"... If the kid is an absolute phenomena, then potentially yes.

When it comes to him being past on now, Ben looks like a man amongst boys on his mix tape, but perhaps he looks like a boy amongst men in a Boomers camp? I am confident that is the case as I am sure Lemanis wants to win games and if Ben Simmons is 'The man' right now then he would be on the team.. no question.

The kids got a bright future, as does Aussie Hoops. I think we will be on the podium sometime in the next 10-15 years and it may be even this year with the right chemistry.

Ben will be there in Rio I am very sure, starter or not.. this is a non issue.

'Watched 4 sessions at the camp Simmons really struggled with understanding concepts... Constantly being taught which is no surprise given age

In the scrimmage he struggle with the change up d and on o settled for a lot of jump shots

Broekhoff was lights out all week, ran a lot of plays for him in the scrimmage he looked good deserves his spot'

Love to hear more thoughts on Ben+ other players performances at camp as there seems to have been no media presence