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Player Profile: 2016 PG Xavier Simpson

Posted onAuthorGarrett Fishaw

Player Bio:

  • Height: 5’11”
  • Weight: 165
  • Hometown (Highschool): Lima, OH (Lima Senior)
  • Class: 2016
  • Ranking: 4 Star (247), #70 overall #13 PG

Player Overview:

Long player who is pretty thin, but has room to fill. Has above average speed, and great lateral movement. Has a great first step with the ball that allows him to get by defenders. If Jon Sanderson has shown us anything in the past, it is he can transform the body of players over just one summer. The list includes most famously Trey Burke and Nik Stauskas, both who won B1G players of the year (Burke also won National POY). Like many football analysts will say, Simpson has a body that can add weight and he can then become a guard capable of thriving in the rugged B1G conference play.

Player Strengths and Weaknesses:

Strengths:

  • Great ball handler that can leave defenders in the dust
  • Can get to the rim via isolation or pick and roll
  • Good finisher for his size, can finish over post players
  • Great at drawing bigs off of their man to open up other players
  • Good passer to both the wings and post
  • Can contort and twist body to open up angles other guards cannot
  • Quickness makes him a great defender
  • Has quick hands and feet to create turnovers

Weaknesses:

  • Lacks ideal size, both in height and weight
  • Has potential to be good outside shooter, but is not quite there yet
  • Can be out of control sometimes to make some bad decisions

Summary:

Simpson has all of the attributes to come in and compete right away for playing time. He is an outstanding talent, but more importantly a very well rounded player. He looks to be next in line of the guards that Coach Beilein turns into great players. The only concern that I have right away is his small frame, but as I said before he has the capacity to add muscle and turn into a prototypical B1G point guard. The weaknesses that I picked out shouldn’t be a huge concern, remember this kid is a senior this year, so he has a lot of ball to be played before he even steps foot on campus.

Player He Reminds Me Of:

Although I hate to make huge comparisons, I have to say Simpson reminds me of Trey Burke. Both came into Michigan pretty skinny, but as we all know Burke filled out and had one of the best seasons a player has had. Like Burke, Simpson has all of the tools to contribute right away, but the potential to be great. Both are great finishers around the rim, and have a knack of dumping passes off to bigs down low (see Burke to McGary 2013 National Tournament). If Simpson walks on campus an immediate threat to shoot it from deep, expect him to steal minutes from the veteran guards on the roster. I really think he can turn into a star guard with the help of Coach Beilein. Once he fills out and just keeps improving his game, I expect big things from him.

Garrett Fishaw
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