Jaaron Simmons,Ben Lammers

Ohio redshirt junior Jaaron Simmons, a 6-foot-1 point guard, averaged 15.9 points and ranked eighth nationally with 6.5 assists per game.

(John Bazemore | AP Photo)

ANN ARBOR -- Ohio redshirt junior Jaaron Simmons previously announced his intentions to declare for the NBA Draft.

On Monday, he told Ohio he will instead be heading to Michigan as a graduate transfer

"Jaaron informed me today of his intention to transfer to Michigan," Ohio head coach Saul Phillips said in a statement obtained Monday night by MLive. "We are disappointed with his decision, but wish him luck. We have known this has been a possibility and have taken steps to make sure the roster is talented and balanced. We are looking forward to the upcoming season."

Simmons, a 6-foot-1 point guard, averaged 15.9 points and 6.5 assists per game with the Bobcats last season.

Simmons did not immediately reply to messages left by MLive. The news was first reported by The Athens Messenger.

It's unknown whether Simmons still intends to pursue his entry to NBA Draft and go through the pre-draft evaluation process. The NCAA's deadline for him to withdraw from the draft is May 24.

Until Simmons officially enrolls at U-M, the program and coach John Beilein cannot comment on his addition.

As a graduate transfer, he would have immediate eligibility at Michigan.

It was not previously known that Simmons had a committable scholarship offer from Michigan. He visited U-M on the weekend of April 15. Following that visit, he told MLive he was "not doing any interviews until after my decision is made."

Michigan currently holds one open scholarship, but that has long sat on the table for 2017 five-star center Mohammad Bamba.

The Wolverines could potentially have as many as two additional open scholarships with possible NBA departures of Moritz Wagner and D.J. Wilson, but one or both could opt to return to U-M.

Simmons addition fills a significant need for Michigan in the backcourt. John Beilein previously stated that he'd like to add depth at the guard position with the departure of senior point guard Derrick Walton Jr. and wing Zak Irvin.

He'll join sophomore point guard Xavier Simpson, senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and freshman guards Eli Brooks and Jordan Poole on next season's roster.

Simmons was a First Team All-Mid-American Conference pick in 2016-17. He was considered a favorite for league Player of the Year, if he returned to Ohio as a fifth-year senior.

Simmons, a Dayton native, began his college career at Houston in 2013-14 before transferring to Ohio and sitting out the 2014-15 season.

In his only comments since the news of his move to Michigan, Simmons told The Athens Messenger on Monday: "It's one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make. We have a great relationship. Nothing negative happened (at Ohio), there was nothing bad about it. I'm just trying to do what I think is the best for me as an individual."

Simmons excels in ball-screen situations and is both a scorer and distributor. In two seasons at Ohio (66 games), he scored 20 or more points in 20 games and handed out seven or more assists in 40 games. His 7.9 assists per game as a redshirt sophomore in 2015-16 ranked third in the nation.

In high school, Simmons played for All-Ohio Red on the AAU circuit, the same program to produce former Wolverines Trey Burke and Caris LeVert, and current U-M wing Ibi Watson.

Simmons played at Archbishop Alter High School in Dayton, finishing as the program's all-time leading scorer and ranking second in career assists.