Simmons gives up his body for game

Over the next few games, there’s a pretty good chance that Desmond Simmons’ extensive collection of scars and floor burns will increase – not that he doesn’t have a plethora of them already.

But with the Washington Huskies missing center Aziz N’Diaye for the next few games with a sprained knee, Simmons’ playing time will likely increase, starting with tonight’s game against UC Santa Barbara at Alaska Airlines Arena.

More minutes on the floor means more opportunities to throw himself on the floor. It means more chances to sacrifice his body and his well-being for each loose ball, rebound, charge opportunity and defensive stop.

“I’ve always been that guy that dives on the ground and chases loose balls into the stands,” said the redshirt freshman from Vallejo, Calif.

Take a glance at his elbows and knees and you will see fresh wounds, healing burns and old scars.

Heck, one minute into the Huskies’ first exhibition last month, Simmons was diving on the floor and sound of skin against polished hardwood could be heard.

“I’ve got a few,” he said of the floor burns. “They burn when you get in the shower.”

He wears them like badges of pride for his effort. There’s playing hard. Then there’s playing the way he does.

And it isn’t just loose balls. Simmons is just as active on the glass. He averages 4.9 rebounds while playing 16.9 minutes per game. Of his 39 rebounds, 14 are offensive boards.

“He’s relentless,” coach Lorenzo Romar said earlier this season. “He’s really good at pursuing the ball, and has a real nose for the ball, just kind of understands where that thing is going.”

Romar then paused and evoked a hallowed name among Huskies: “A lot like Jon Brockman.”

Simmons knows what type of praise that means coming from Romar. He’s seen the tapes of Brockman, he’s seen the numbers in the record book and he’s had to go against Brockman during workouts.

“When he comes into the gym, it’s like, ‘Oh man, you better have your hard hat on, because he’s going to make you work for everything,’ ” Simmons said.

There is no secret to Simmons’ success on the boards. He uses a combination of fundamentals, a nose for the ball and a competitive mindset.

“A lot of people tell me I have a knack for finding the ball off the rim,” Simmons said. But you still have to be physical and get good position. If you are athletic like Terrence (Ross), you can just jump over people. That’s not the case for me. I have to box out and get good position.”

It’s how Brockman did it. It’s how Dennis Rodman did it.

“There’s a reason Brockman was the best here,” Simmons said. “It’s the reason Rodman was the best in the NBA.”

Simmons isn’t offensively challenged like Rodman. He has a solid jump shot and has shown the ability to knock down the 15-foot baseline jumper consistently. He can even step back and knock down the 3-point shot.

But it’s his work in the paint where the Huskies need him most at the moment.

The Huskies aren’t the biggest team in the Pacific-12 Conference. And they are significantly smaller without N’Diaye. With Darnell Gant not being a particularly effective inside player or an effective a rebounder, much of the production will fall to Simmons.

Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483 ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports

HUSKies GAMEDAY

UC SANTA BARBARA (5-2) AT WASHINGTON (4-4)

Tipoff: 7 p.m., Alaska Airlines Arena

TV: Root Sports. Radio: 950-AM, 102.9-FM

Series: The Huskies are 2-0 all-time against the Gauchos. But those games were played nearly 30 years ago in 1982 and 1983.

PROBABLE STARTERS

UCSB

NAMEPOSPPGRPGAPGFG%FT%

Orlando JohnsonG22.16.93.4.449.655

Nate GarthG3.93.03.3.290.833

Jaime SernaF11.64.90.9.750.724

Christian PetersonF2.93.60.9.417.769

James NunallyF18.05.71.6.472.816

Washington

NAMEPOSPPGRPGAPGFG%FT%

Abdul GaddyG8.63.35.1.410.667

C.J. WilcoxG16.53.91.6.476.846

Terrence RossG16.57.02.1.476.842

Darnell Gant F 8.94.1 1.1 .571 .714

Desmond SimmonsF4.44.91.0.417.632

Scouting report: The Huskies will look to snap a three-game skid, all on the road, against an underrated Gauchos squad. UW will do so without center, leading rebounder and defensive presence Aziz N’Diaye, who is out with a knee injury. Washington will feel N’Diaye’s absence in two ways. First, the Huskies can use Desmond Simmons in his place and look for increased minutes from inexperienced big men Shawn Kemp Jr. and Martin Breunig. Also, they can go with the four-guard lineup they showed in the second half of the Duke game that could cause plenty of matchup issues. This could work well because the Gauchos aren’t very tall either. Defensively, the Huskies will have to contend with Orlando Johnson, who is one of the most explosive and versatile scorers in the country. Washington has been susceptible to dribble penetration from guards all season, and Johnson will gladly take advantage of any openings. But at 6-5, Johnson can and will shoot over shorter defenders. He is hitting over 40 percent of his 3-point attempts. The Gauchos have another offensive presence in James Nunally, who plays off Johnson to get plenty of buckets. He will slash inside and also step back and shoot. Both players will be difficult matchup issues for the Huskies. Washington can’t underestimate the Gauchos. In their past two games, they’ve taken San Diego State – which beat Arizona – and UNLV, a winner over then top-ranked North Carolina – to overtime before losing.

Next: Noon Sunday, South Dakota State, Alaska Airlines Arena

Ryan Divish, staff writer