An LSU basketball player was shot on Friday morning.

Wayde Sims, a young forward and native of Baton Rouge, was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound shortly after midnight and died of his injury, according to a Baton Rouge Police Department press release . He was 20 years old.

"We are all devastated," said coach Will Wade a statement issued to journalists. "We need your prayers for Wayde, for her family, and for all of us – our hearts are broken."

Police said the shooting took place around 12:25 pm in a street just south of Southern University, located north of downtown Baton Rouge, near a bend in Mississippi. The ongoing investigation classifies Sims' death into the category of homicides.

Sims, a 6-6 forward and a kinesiology major, started 10 games for LSU last year, averaging 5.6 points and 2.9 rebounds. He grew up in Baton Rouge and was named Louisiana Gatorade's year-round player after his junior high school season. His father, Wayne, also played basketball at LSU.

Contact Tom Schad at [email protected] or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.