The second installment of our Michigan basketball player profiles is the cornerstone of the stout Michigan defense: point guard Zavier Simpson. Having turned into a lethal defensive point guard, Simpson's future projects brightly for the Wolverines. We will address his game and what he might do in the future for Coach Beilein in Ann Arbor.
An Introduction:
The former Mr. Basketball of Ohio, Simpson had a desire to come here. Michigan was chasing Cassius Winston while looking into Simpson and ultimately Simpson ended up here while Winston went to Michigan State. So far, the choice made by Simpson has worked out well for team and player alike and despite a pretty forgettable freshman year and some rocky patches in the road to success as a sophomore, Zavier has blossomed into one of the finer point guards in the Big Ten.
Simpson returns as the leading assister having averaged 3.7 per game to go along with 1.3 steals per game. Simpson has been doing every you expect from your point guard by passing well, being an absolute menace on defense, and being able to be competent enough on offense to provide a threat so the defense does not slack off entirely. If he continues to develop, I could see Zavier becoming a player built from the mold of Gary Payton: outstanding on defense, very good passer, will shoot and drive. His continued growth under this coaching staff, DeAndre Haynes in particular, will be exciting to watch.
Last Season:
Believe it or not, Simpson was not the starter for the entire year. Simpson lost his starting spot following four games to freshman Eli Brooks. For a long stretch of the early-season, none of Michigan's three point guards stood out despite their flashes of brilliance every now and again. Eventually though, Simpson had too many good performances to be ignored. UCLA, at Iowa, both regular season games against Purdue, and Michigan State, these were all huge games for Simpson. Additionally, as the season continued to develop, so too would his defending.
The Big Ten Tournament was Simpson's masterclass. Four games against four outstanding lead guards in four days left the point guard unphased. Jordan Bohannon of Iowa: 3-for-14. Glynn Watson Jr. of Nebraska: 4-for-12. Cassius Winston of Michigan State: 3-for-10. Capping this off was Carsen Edwards of Purdue going 4-for-16 in the championship game. This continued into the NCAA Tournament as not a single of Simpson's primary opponents shot better than 40% and Naismith Player of the Year Jalen Brunson of Villanova was held to a 4-for-13 night. As Simpson matures and develops, his defending will continue to get even better and even more fun to watch.
Strong Points:
Have I mentioned his defense? Simpson, as just a sophomore, made a claim to be the top defensive guard in the Big Ten and perhaps the entire nation. On offense, Simpson has a tendency to drive and hit layups that have seemingly no shot of going in but do, often times over much taller opponents. This has happened more times than I can count and his drives to the rim are easily his best offensive asset. While not incredibly flashy, he passes very well and can make some pretty finds every now and then. He is not the scorer he was in Ohio high school basketball, but he will still shoot and make the three on a fairly regular basis. One simply cannot overstate his presence on defense, however.
Areas of Improvement:
Simpson's free-throw struggles have been well-documented. He shot just 51.6% from the line last season, a stark change from about 70% (with limited opportunities) as a freshman. He changed his routine mid-season and one will hope that any physical or mental flaw in the game can be fixed. Simpson only shot 28.6% from the three-point line and does not have much game off the dribble that he has shown in-game at the college level. One would like to see him hit the three on a more consistent basis and presumably this will be an offensively focused summer for Zavier as his development will go a long way in making the Wolverines run smoothly.
Final Thoughts:
Michigan is very lucky to have a talent like Simpson for two more years. Even more exciting is the stable of point guards in Eli Brooks and David DeJulius that the Wolverines are set to have over the next couple of years. If Simpson has develop an outside shot, or even a consistent mid-range jumper, Michigan as a whole becomes that much tougher to play against. This will be an important summer for Zavier as in theory Michigan could have the same team two years in a row. A summer to develop a repertoire with his teammates could prove prosperous over the next two years.
All stats taken from Sports Reference.
An Introduction:
The former Mr. Basketball of Ohio, Simpson had a desire to come here. Michigan was chasing Cassius Winston while looking into Simpson and ultimately Simpson ended up here while Winston went to Michigan State. So far, the choice made by Simpson has worked out well for team and player alike and despite a pretty forgettable freshman year and some rocky patches in the road to success as a sophomore, Zavier has blossomed into one of the finer point guards in the Big Ten.
Simpson returns as the leading assister having averaged 3.7 per game to go along with 1.3 steals per game. Simpson has been doing every you expect from your point guard by passing well, being an absolute menace on defense, and being able to be competent enough on offense to provide a threat so the defense does not slack off entirely. If he continues to develop, I could see Zavier becoming a player built from the mold of Gary Payton: outstanding on defense, very good passer, will shoot and drive. His continued growth under this coaching staff, DeAndre Haynes in particular, will be exciting to watch.
Last Season:
Believe it or not, Simpson was not the starter for the entire year. Simpson lost his starting spot following four games to freshman Eli Brooks. For a long stretch of the early-season, none of Michigan's three point guards stood out despite their flashes of brilliance every now and again. Eventually though, Simpson had too many good performances to be ignored. UCLA, at Iowa, both regular season games against Purdue, and Michigan State, these were all huge games for Simpson. Additionally, as the season continued to develop, so too would his defending.
The Big Ten Tournament was Simpson's masterclass. Four games against four outstanding lead guards in four days left the point guard unphased. Jordan Bohannon of Iowa: 3-for-14. Glynn Watson Jr. of Nebraska: 4-for-12. Cassius Winston of Michigan State: 3-for-10. Capping this off was Carsen Edwards of Purdue going 4-for-16 in the championship game. This continued into the NCAA Tournament as not a single of Simpson's primary opponents shot better than 40% and Naismith Player of the Year Jalen Brunson of Villanova was held to a 4-for-13 night. As Simpson matures and develops, his defending will continue to get even better and even more fun to watch.
Strong Points:
Have I mentioned his defense? Simpson, as just a sophomore, made a claim to be the top defensive guard in the Big Ten and perhaps the entire nation. On offense, Simpson has a tendency to drive and hit layups that have seemingly no shot of going in but do, often times over much taller opponents. This has happened more times than I can count and his drives to the rim are easily his best offensive asset. While not incredibly flashy, he passes very well and can make some pretty finds every now and then. He is not the scorer he was in Ohio high school basketball, but he will still shoot and make the three on a fairly regular basis. One simply cannot overstate his presence on defense, however.
Areas of Improvement:
Simpson's free-throw struggles have been well-documented. He shot just 51.6% from the line last season, a stark change from about 70% (with limited opportunities) as a freshman. He changed his routine mid-season and one will hope that any physical or mental flaw in the game can be fixed. Simpson only shot 28.6% from the three-point line and does not have much game off the dribble that he has shown in-game at the college level. One would like to see him hit the three on a more consistent basis and presumably this will be an offensively focused summer for Zavier as his development will go a long way in making the Wolverines run smoothly.
Final Thoughts:
Michigan is very lucky to have a talent like Simpson for two more years. Even more exciting is the stable of point guards in Eli Brooks and David DeJulius that the Wolverines are set to have over the next couple of years. If Simpson has develop an outside shot, or even a consistent mid-range jumper, Michigan as a whole becomes that much tougher to play against. This will be an important summer for Zavier as in theory Michigan could have the same team two years in a row. A summer to develop a repertoire with his teammates could prove prosperous over the next two years.
All stats taken from Sports Reference.
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