5-Star PF Simi Shittu Commits to Vanderbilt over UNC, Others

Vanderbiltlanded a high-impact player to its frontcourtWednesday, as power forward Simi Shittu committed to play for the Commodores in a video for The Players' Tribune:According to 247Sports, Shittu is a 5-star recruit who ranks as the No. 7 overall player, No. 1 power forward and the No. 1 player from the state of Vermont.Although Shittu is from Canada, he currently lives in Vermont and plays at Vermont Academy, where he has developed into one of the most dominant forces in the class of 2018.While Shittu is a big at 6'8" and 210 pounds who seemingly continues to grow, he is also a versatile weapon capable of playing and excelling at multiple positions.As seen in this video courtesy of Overtime from the 2017 Peach Jam, Shittu is able to get into passing lanes and create instant offense in transition:Per Matt Whitfield of ZagsBlog.com, Shittu fancies himself something of a Swiss army knife due to his two-way game:"I affect the game in many ways on both offense and defense. I have a high motor. I rebound really well. I score the ball."Shittu also compared himself to the likes of Milwaukee Bucks wing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James and Golden State Warriors agitator Draymond Green.Provided those comparisons are anything close to accurate moving forward, it's no wonder that so many of the top programs in college basketball attempted to secure a commitment from Shittu.According to 247Sports, UConn, Duke, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Oregon and Maryland were among the many high-profile schools that offered scholarships.Shittu essentially had his pick of the litter, and he continued to cement himself as an elite prospect throughout the recruiting process.Despite having the makings of a one-and-done prospect due to his incredible skill level, Shittu is the type of player who can leave a lasting impact on a program.Shittu's commitment to the Commodores is huge for the program and another boon for a team that also has 5-star point guard Darius Garland and 4-star small forward Aaron Nesmith incoming in the Class of 2018.Under Bryce Drew, the Commodores reached the NCAA tournament in the 2016-17 season and are looking to build upon that successful campaign.Shittu's commitment is the latest indication that the program is trending in the right direction.
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