2016 Lima (OH) point guard Xavier Simpson became the fourth member of Michigan's 2016 class yesterday. The day started with what appeared to be concerning news when in-state point guard target Cassius Winston announced that after initially pushing back his planned official visit, Michigan was no longer an option for him. With Simpson looking all set to commit to Wisconsin yesterday afternoon, this didn't look great for the Wolverines, and memories of the Battle/Langford saga had fans concerned.
That concern was unfounded. As it turns out, on his way back from visiting Wisconsin last weekend, Simpson made a pit stop in Ann Arbor.
For those thinking this came out of nowhere, it did not. Simpson visited michigan Sunday afternoon/evening.
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) September 9, 2015
Been wrapped up for a few days now
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) September 9, 2015
Michigan had a chance to lock up a top-100 prospect at a position of need. In doing so, they pulled the rug out from Wisconsin, but I'm sure since this is John Beilein we're talking about here their fans reacted in a totally reasonable fashion.
Or the total opposite. This is without a doubt funnier than anything that dude has posted on his Bo Ryan parody account.
[Hit THE JUMP for the informative portion.]
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, which establishes a theme: while Simpson has parts of his game to refine, he's a proven winner whom you can trust to run the offense.
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
ESPN's evaluation, updated yesterday, is nearly identical—and as a bonus lauds Simpson's defense ($):
Strengths:
Xavier is a tough, cerebral point guard. He can score some but is best as a distributor and facilitator. While his scoring/shooting does need improvement he will make clutch shots at end of clock situations. He's not afraid to take game-winners. He has a strong body and is a very good defender. Leadership is also one of his best attributes.Weaknesses:
His shot is streaky and needs work to become a weapon. While he is strong he is not physically gifted, not the best athlete and not super quick.Bottom Line:
Xavier is your classic tough, winning lead guard. His talent won't overwhelm you but all he does is win.
T-Pain, wherever he is these days, approves of that conclusion.
Simpson's shot may not be as iffy as the above reports suggest. Scout's Rob Harrington posted a long, free evaluation after his commitment yesterday, and there are encouraging signs regarding his shooting:
Simpson attempted just three triples per game on the EYBL circuit despite the fact that, prior to the Peach Jam, he’d knocked down just under 40 percent on threes. He was forced to carry more of the scoring load for King James at that event, and to his credit he rose to the occasion by ramping up his scoring average to 19 points per contest.
So while he still must improve his consistency, there’s hardly much to critique in terms of his stroke. Simpson’s touch also is evident from the free throw line, given that he shot an incredible 27-29 (93 percent) in five games at the Peach Jam. And simply getting to the line that frequently illustrates his toughness and desire to win.
Free throw shooting is a reliable indicator of overall shooting ability. If Simpson's outside stroke catches up, watch out. He was on fire in June's NBPA Top 100 Camp, where he made the all-camp team of Rivals' Eric Bossi in a field loaded with top talent ($):
A three-star prospect who ranks No. 122 in the class of 2016, Simpson was easily one of the most pleasant surprises of camp. The 5-foot-11 point guard from Lima (Ohio) Senior was efficient scoring the ball and showed real toughness. He got into the lane, hit deep jumpers (47.6 percent from three) and made plays that needed to be made.
As you can see, Rivals gave Simpson a healthy 35-spot rankings bump in the wake of that performance.
ESPN's Reggie Rankin expanded on what makes Simpson a good defender and how he fits into Michigan's system ($):
The Wolverines play tough man and zone defense and Simpson has the ability to pressure while containing the ball. He is a great front line defender in a team defensive scheme. Offensively, Simpson will fit the Wolverine scheme with his ability to run the offense. He has excellent feel for the game and matching basketball IQ. Simpson will make-high level plays coming off ball screens and keep the ball moving within patterns and will get the ball to right teammate with his good decision-making.
Simpson may be Spike-sized or thereabouts, but with his quickness he should be able to pressure the ball a lot more than Albrecht does.
OFFERS
Simpson held offers from Butler, Cleveland State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Miami (YTM), Northwestern, Pitt, Purdue, Texas Tech, Toledo, VCU, Wisconsin, and Xavier.
VIDEO
OFFICIAL summer mixtape:
Highlights from this spring's Spiece Run N Slam:
NBA Top 100 Camp highlights:
Buzzer beater:
There's plenty more on YouTube, dating back at least to his 8th-grade year, if you're so inclined.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Simpson will be called upon to make an immediate impact. He should have a one-year apprenticeship as Derrick Walton's backup in 2016-17 before taking over the starting job as a sophomore. I'd expect him to primarily be a distributor and perimeter defender early on in his career as he adjusts to the size and speed of the college game, though those recent videos show some promise for his ability to create shots—including pull-up threes—off the pick-and-roll, which could make him a valuable scorer in Beilein's offense.
He should be a four-year player—his size will make it tough to leave early for the NBA—and by the time he's an upperclassman he's got the potential to be an all-conference player.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
Michigan should be set with the four they have in the class. Five-star Miles Bridges is the one guy who could seemingly change that; he's slated for an official visit in October, and if Austin Davis reclassifies to 2017 that would allow M to take Bridges and only be one over the scholarship cap before any possible attrition from this year's team—hardly putting them in danger of oversigning. Bridges is most likely ticketed for Kentucky, however, and as it stands Beilein has assembled a strong class. With no offers out yet to 2017 prospects, the coaching staff will soon focus their full attention on that class.