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Clemson received a public commitment Thursday from Palmyra (Va.) Blue Ridge School forward Aamir Simms.

Tigerillustrated.com dissects the impact in this post-commitment feature:

WHAT THEY GET

Simms (6-8, 235), ranked No. 90 nationally by Rivals.com, physically looks like how you’d draw up a rugged power forward. He’s broad-shouldered and muscularly toned with room to pack on more bulk.

Offensively, Simms looks most comfortable taking face-up jumpers. He possesses a smooth shooting stroke and has range out to the 3-point line. He can run pick-and-pop and appears most reliable shooting from the wings up to the top of the circle. Simms does score inside, but more off cuts to the basket and offensive rebounds than post moves. He’s also a capable passer.

Beyond those traits, Simms also makes his name as a proficient rebounder, using his frame and wingspan to rebound his space efficiently.

He has an intriguing skill set. The next area for growth will be coercing or putting Simms in position to more frequently utilize those talents. He demonstrates an inclination to let the game come to him, whereas someone that skilled could stand to impose his will on a game more frequently.

HOW HE FITS

Jaron Blossomgame’s departure will leave a significant void in Clemson’s lineup for 2017-18, as there might not be an heir apparent for the 4-spot on the roster. Donte Grantham has yet to show he can rebound or defend at the 4, and while transfer Elijah Thomas can be a power forward, Brad Brownell’s ideal is to have an umbrella of four perimeter players around one big, so the 4-man needs to have some outside skills.

Simms does not possess the ball-handling abilities or agility of a Blossomgame or K.J. McDaniels, both of whom were built like small forwards. But with Clemson now having a point guard who will handle the ball more because of his facilitative and distributive talents, the 4-man arguably doesn’t need to be as much of a creator.

The Tigers can use Simms as a spot-up shooter to spread the floor offensively, as a high screener for the aforementioned pick-and-pop or run high-low plays through him at the high post. He then possesses the bulk to give Clemson a stronger inside presence at the 4 than they’ve had in recent memory.

Paired with fellow commitment Malik William, the Tigers have given themselves options and versatility in restocking their lineup once Blossomgame is gone.

STATEMENTS MADE

Going back to the summer, we identified Simms atop Clemson’s wish list for the position.

The fact the Tigers got the top-100 guy they wanted, amid heavy competition, reinforces the advances the Tigers have made on the recruiting trail.

Simms arranged official visits to Miami, Pittsburgh, VCU and was also looking at Notre Dame and Iowa State, all of whom legitimately wanted him.

Clemson's staff got him in first for an official earlier this month, and the feedback his other suitors then received is why one by one, those schools moved on to the next guy on their board. The Tigers then held off a subsequent push by VCU, arguably their biggest nemesis these last two cycles.

That Clemson sealed the deal off his first official visit also perhaps represents a bit of a milestone for the staff and its closing abilities. Assistant coaches Steve Smith and Mike Winiecki deserve considerable credit for this courtship.

It’s tough to quantify how much facilities factor into a recruit’s equation. But you can’t ignore the uptick in basketball recruiting in conjunction with the tangible structural evidence Clemson is investing in its hoops future.

QUOTABLE

"Simms is one of the most physically tough, rugged and dependable big men in the class of 2017. He is an outstanding rebounder who has strength and loves to play with physicality in the paint. He is a very good positional defender and he sprints the floor with tremendous effort.

"Simms is most comfortable playing with his back to the basket and is an old school power player on offense. He will hit some face up jump shots but his bread and butter is scoring from eight feet and in. He's a patient kid, will pass out of double teams when they come and because of his rebounding he will go get the ball on his own and create offense on the offensive glass." -- Eric Bossi, Rivals.com national analyst