Go to Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Hub >>
Class |
Position |
Height |
Weight |
|
2016 |
PG |
5'11" |
165 lb |
|
School |
AAU |
|||
Lima (OH) Senior HS / |
King James Shooting Stars |
Rankings
Rivals: (#21 PG / #87 overall)
Scout: (#12 PG / #55 overall)
ESPN: 84 (#12 PG / #66 overall)
24/7: 92 (#16 PG / #86 overall)
Triple Double Prospects: #1 PG in Ohio
Last Updated: Sept. 9, 2015
Previous Rankings: 4-star (#21 PG/#88 overall) > 3-star (#122 overall) by Rivals; 4-star (#14 PG/#72 overall) by Scout; 4-star/80 (#14 PG/#86 overall) by ESPN; 4-star/91 (#18 PG/#93 overall) by 24/7
Rankings at time of commitment: 4-star (0.9709) by 24/7 Composite, #13 PG/#71 overall/#7 in OH; 4-star by Rivals, ESPN & Scout
Honors
2016 Ohio Mr. Basketball
2015 Co-Player of the Year - Div. 1 (AP)
2015 First Team All-State - Div. 1 (AP)
2014 Honorable Mention All-State - Div. 3 (AP)
Statistics
2015-16: 27.2 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.9 rpg, 3.9 spg
2015: 15.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.9 apg, 2.6 tpg, 1.7 spg, 46.2% FG, 78.8% FT, 35.4% 3FG (eybl)
2014-15: 24 ppg, 6 rpg, 6 apg | Junior (Lima)
2013-14: | Sophomore (LCC)
Verbally committed to Michigan
Simpson, who counts Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Indiana, Illinois, Miami (FL), Northwestern, Texas Tech and UNLV as suitors, continued to be a hot commodity through August heading into his senior season at Lima Senior High. He started his high school career at Lima Central Catholic, leading his team to a state championship as a sophomore, before transferring when his father Quincey took the head coaching job at Lima Senior. Quincey Simpson announced Wisconsin's offer on Twitter:
Proud to say X has received a offer from Wisconsin. Bo Ryan is a well respected coach in this game. So that means a lot. #ProudDad #HWPO
— Coach Q. (@coachq7) August 25, 2015
A smaller prospect than Wisconsin typically pursues at point guard, Simpson is a tough player who reminds you physically of NBA greats like Chris Paul and Isiah Thomas. There is also a decent Big Ten tradition of lead guards from Lima, such as Travis Walton and Jamar Butler. The Badgers are making the position a priority in 2016 and continue to focus on the Buckeye state with a bit of a surprising late offer here. In May, Simpson indicated he'd make an early decision -- even going so far as to schedule an announcement ceremony -- but since then, a couple schools under consideration (Purdue, Xavier) took other pledges at point guard. He continues to work on the release point of his shot and has impressed against top-level competition throughout the summer. Three Big Ten schools appeared in Simpson's early Top 6 list, with Illinois receiving Simpson's second official visit after Iowa State.
Wisconsin hosted Simpson the weekend of September 4th and then he cancelled his last planned official trip (to Miami). Simpson was set to announce his college choice on September 9th between Iowa State, Illinois, Miami and Wisconsin. Crystal Ball selections surged in UW's favor. But behind the scenes, word is the he made a secret visit to Michigan on Sunday after his Wisconsin visit and was a silent Wolverine commit by Monday night. Michigan was the last-second choice in one of the wildest commitment sagas in memory.
Recent Press
Related articles on Bucky's 5th Quarter >>
2015
09.10: Furious finish: How 4-star Xavier Simpson landed at U-M (Detroit Free Press)
09.09: What is Michigan getting in Xavier Simpson? (Scout)
09.09: U-M lands 2016 four-star PG Xavier Simpson (Detroit Free Press)
09.09: Four-star point guard Xavier Simpson commits to Michigan (UM Hoops)
09.09: New school emerges for Xavier Simpson (Scout)
09.02: Xavier Simpson Schedules Wisconsin Official (Scout)
08.11: A look at three Purdue point guard options (Lafayette Journal & Courier)
08.09: Xavier Simpson very impressed by Iowa State (Scout)
06.22: NBPA Top 100: Maker makes his mark (Rivals)
05.12: Report: Xavier Simpson Making Decision Before July (Big Stage Hoops)
05.12: Ohio's 2016 class shines Sunday at Run-N-Slam (Rivals)
05.06: Simpson, Cumberland: King James Package Deal? (247Sports)
05.02: 2016 4-Star Point Guard Xavier Simpson on B1G Radar (BT Powerhouse)
03.05: Xavier Simpson latest in long line of Lima talent (the419.com)
02.14: FHS rally falls short at Lima (The Courier)
01.07: Lima Senior impresses in 60-43 TRAC win over Trojans (The Courier)
2014
10.13: 2014 John Lucas Invitational Recap (SLAM)
03.23: LCC survives final shot to win D-III crown (The Courier)
Audio / Video
Highlights: Xavier Simpson is Ohio's Top Point Guard, shows out at Nike Peach Jam (07.31.15)
Highlights: Xavier Simpson (2016) Mixtape @ NBA Top 100 Camp (06.26.15)
Additional Info
2015-16 Schedule
Twitter: @Xaviersimpson3