Whether it is a deep 3-pointer, a runner in traffic, or a pull-up in which he stops on a dime, Khalyl Simmons possesses a battle-tested offensive arsenal. Awaiting his senior year, the Inspire Institute guard's array of tools has catapulted him to the top of the list canvassing Florida's most lethal scoring threats.
Since he was a callow and unassuming sophomore, Simmons has utilized the quickness and changing of the speeds and know-how to really break down a defense.
He's handled the responsibilities and rigors that parallel being a go-to source. Cognizant that he's had to call his own number more than most--especially since such a young age--and deliver in crunch time while getting everyone involved as a facilitator, the steady maturation process will put more eyes on the 6-foot-1 guard.
"My mentality has always been to get the job done no matter what, there's no excuses," said Simmons, who averaged 25.6 points as a junior last year.
" I play with so much grit and passion when I play, no matter how big my opponent is he is never going to be comfortable on the offensive or defensive end. As I got older and my body developed, I think my game has changed tremendously. Three years ago, I was very skinny and a few inches shorter. So, my game was more perimeter based. Now that I've added some muscle and grown a few inches, it’s a lot easier to create space and get into the lane and create plays."
The Orlando native's evolution on the court has mirrored his relationship with Ray Dieng, once an unsung forward at Calusa Prep. Dieng, who came to the United States from Africa in the fall of 2016, showed flashes during a sophomore year. When the program folded at Calusa, he found a new hardwood home with Inspire. Dieng transformed his body and his game rapidly, becoming a hulking behemoth and interior scorer with athleticism and vertical explosiveness.
"Ray and I, we definitely have games that compliment each other on the court," said Simmons, who makes the game a year-round livelihood. "I believe we have both helped each other’s game grow immensely. Ray is a force to be reckoned with on the post and if he is getting doubled down low, I’m there to punish the defender for leaving me."
Simmons took game-changing matters into his own hands this season. He scored a game-best 34 points against a loaded West Oaks team featuring Tyrell "Turbo" Jones (now at Auburn), a performance that put him on a different stratosphere mentally. On a fusillade of long, tape measure three-pointers and a fluid series of mid range shots, Simmons put together an accurate account of his capabilities.
Simply put, he played possessed. The enlarged basket and the inner momentum elicited a performance he had been waiting for.
Several people had been waiting for, actually. The number one mentor, coach, and advocate for Khalyl has always been both his high school coach, his AAU coach, and the same guy he shares the breakfast table with every morning: his father, Inspire founder and head coach Larry Simmons.
"I can’t even explain how he has helped me or the rest of the team," the younger Simmons explains.
"He’s been doing anything and everything to help my dream become a reality. Nobody works harder than My Dad. He will literally drive us to a game and we will not get home until 2AM. Then, he will be up at 4:30AM doing work. I can’t even explain how he does it. He puts everyone before himself, and he does this all out of his own pocket."
Simmons continued, :"He has molded me into who I am today. My work ethic, my mentality to the game, and my game itself is all credited to him. He’s been my coach for a couple of years now. They have been the hardest years of my life and I love it.
Following his breakout sophomore year, multiple coaches have recruited Simmons and tried to pitch him on the idea of playing for a bigger program, with more exposure-heavy tournaments, with highly-touted players flanking him. He's heard it all.
Larry Simmons knows the nature of today's game, even if a few coaches out there could be guilty of trying to poach players.
He's always been open minded about having his son weigh the options of transferring. If that is, it is the right situation and trustworthy people are involved. In Florida's topsy-turvy prep scene, where "pop up" schools emerge into leagues virtually overnight, you have to keep your radar up sometimes.
"I can't leave him or (Inspire) for any team," Simmons said, emphasizing loyalty. "He's taught me that if I can't do something with the same people who have had my back since day one, then I shouldn't do it."
It was teammates who had his back this summer against the Alabama infusion (EYBL) in an AAU game. WIth the same kid who put up 34 against West Oaks resurfacing and Dieng not there, they created looks for him on the perimeter and fed him for his mid-range game, feeding the hot hand.
The love was reciprocated. Simmons scored 34 points--in the first half. He got loose for floaters, scored off the pick and roll, stepbacks, and manufactured points at the free throw line.