So the Cassius Winston situation cleared up in a hurry.
As it turns out, Michigan had a top-100 prospect ready to commit, and 2016 Lima (OH) point guard Xavier Simpson did just that this afternoon after a late push by the Wolverines. Simpson originally planned to choose today between finalists Illinois, Iowa State, Miami, and Wisconsin. Increased attention from Michigan's staff in the wake of Winston's shifting visit plans changed the outlook entirely.
Simpson is the fourth commit in the 2016 class, joining wing Ibi Watson and big men Jon Teske and Austin Davis.
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
|
4*, #12 PG, #55 Ovr | 4*, #87 Ovr |
4*, 84, #12 PG, #66 Ovr |
3*, 92, #13 PG, #80 Ovr |
4*, #13 PG, #69 Ovr |
The four services are in general agreement on Simpson, all listing him in the bottom half of the top 100 overall prospects. He's the #12 or #13 point guard prospect in the country on the sites that bother with positional rankings; Rivals, for some reason, not only fails to do those but lists players only at G, F, or C unless you click on all their profiles.
Simpson is diminutive. He's listed at 5'11 and 165-170 pounds on three of the four sites; Scout has him at 5'10, 155.
SCOUTING
Here's Scout's free evaluation:
Evaluation
Simpson isn't the most physically gifted player in the class, but he is one of the most effective. Standing only 5-foot-11 he shows absolutely no fear on the basketball court and has set his team up for a lot of wins during his high school and AAU careers. He needs to continue to refine his jumper, but his leadership and ability to run a team make him an in demand prospect.Strengths
- Basketball IQ
- Big-Game Player
- Toughness
Areas to Improve
- 3-Point Range
- Athleticism
I'll have much more on Simpson tomorrow in an updated post. Football duties beckon for now.