DePaul University Athletics
Simpson Simply Sparkling in His Senior Season
12/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - Aaron Simpson certainly had his moment in the sun last month at the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The DePaul guard was shining as bright as ever against Florida State, scoring a career-high 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting that included 5-for-5 from three-point range. He scored 19 points in the second half of the 83-67 loss on Nov. 21.
Simpson followed that up two days later with 12 points, four rebounds and two assists in an 82-78 victory over Norfolk State. He converted three clutch free throws in crunch time to seal the verdict.
In a Dec. 15 loss at Stanford, Simpson led the Blue Demons with 16 points including 4-of-8 from three-point range.
In an overtime loss to Northwestern before Christmas, the perimeter marksman was 3-of-6 from long distance and scored 13 points with eight rebounds. He went on an early tear, scoring the first 10 DePaul points for in less than seven minutes.
"Aside from the scoring, Aaron made good moves near the basket, moved the ball well and rebounded well," said DePaul coach Dave Leitao. "When you're getting a game like that from Aaron, that's when you also need more guys to contribute that way."
Simpson and his teammates played their best game of the season just before Christmas with a resounding 82-61 triumph over No. 20 George Washington last Tuesday at Allstate Arena. Simpson came through with 15 points, five rebounds and four assists, connecting on 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.
In his last three games, Simpson is averaging nearly 15 points a game. On the season, he is 22-of-44 from long distance for an impressive 50 percent accuracy.
"Aaron played really solid against George Washington and has been playing well for us all season," Leitao said.
The Florida State game was a veritable trip down memory lane for Simpson, a highly regarded recruit coming out of North Chicago who led the state in scoring (26.2 points per game) as a senior. He was widely hailed as the third-best player in Illinois behind Jabari Parker of Simeon (Milwaukee Bucks) and Keith Carter of Proviso East (Valparaiso).
"That game felt like I was back in my high school days," Simpson said. "All my shots were going in. Once I made the first two, the rim seemed very wide. I just let them go, and they were falling for me.
"Joe Hanel came up to me and said to keep shooting. All the other guys did a great job of getting me the ball.
"That was a game that lit the fuse for my season. Coach Dave Leitao told me to feed off the energy from that game. I like to pick my spots. We have focused a lot of defense, and now coach wants us to produce more on the offensive end."
Playing with confidence reminded Simpson of a memorable shot he took last season at Xavier.
"I still hear about that play when it looked like I intentionally skipped a layup and dribbled behind the three-point arc for the shot," Simpson said. "It was actually a big misunderstanding on my part.
"The clock was ticking down just before halftime and Billy Garrett Jr. threw me the ball. Darrick Wood was out ahead of me on the fast break, but I thought it was an Xavier defender. Instead of driving to the hoop, I stepped back for the three and made it. When I looked at the game film later, I was surprised it was Darrick.
"I'll always remember that moment. People teased me about that play and wondered if I'd get taken out of the game at the start of the second half because of that shot. It was a special moment because it went in. Our whole team was lights-out in the first half and it seemed like everything we shot was going in.
"I'm looking to play with that kind of confidence this season. That's my game, and in a free-lance offense, those are my kinds of shots. I've been doing it since I was a kid. When I get into a zone, I know it's going to be a good game for me."
Simpson made his Division I college debut last year after two seasons of junior college ball. Not living up to his expectations had the 5-foot, 11-inch senior spending lots of time in the gym during the offseason.
"I worked on my game during the summer, especially on free-throw shooting because I did not shoot that well last year," Simpson said. "I worked on my outside shot and my driving to the basket as I want to be able to attack the basket more this season. Doing that will take the pressure off the other guys and get them open.
"I worked out a lot with Brandon Paul who played at Illinois and also in the NBA Summer League and NBA Development League. My AAU coach Dickie Simpkins helped me with ball-handling drills, offensive moves and pull-ups where I'd take a dribble and shoot.
"This is my last go-round. I'm not taking any days for granted, and I want to go out with a bang my senior year."
It is beginning to sink in that this could be the end of the road for his basketball career.
"When I think about this being my last year, it's kind of scary," Simpson said. "I've been playing ball my whole life, and now I'm approaching another big step in my life. This is my last chance to make a lasting impression on teammates, scouts and the entire basketball community. There's lots of pressure.
"But I'm not bothered by pressure, and that's why I work so hard every summer. When I've faced pressure in the past, I've responded very well. There was a lot of pressure just making it to a Division I school after I had to go to junior college and improve my academics. My family was relying on me to get it done."
Simpson can relate to all the issues facing Blue Demon newcomers after what he experienced as an incoming player last season.
"Every kid desires to make it in college basketball, play in big games and score lots of points," Simpson said. "My first year here last season, I felt like I could've done more for the team. I know I can drive and shoot the ball, but I didn't do that. I was worried about getting subbed out or making a mistake.
"With our new coach Leitao, this guy is not biased on what went on before. He just wants you to get things done. It's like I have a new beginning based on what I am doing right now. The best thing is that coach has confidence in you.
"My role in this new system is to become more of a leader. That means stuff like taking a charge and showing the young guys the right way to do things. If I'm coming off the bench, start making an impact right away by distributing the ball and making stops."
The men's basketball landscape in Lincoln Park is undergoing a fundamental shift. Success in scrimmages is measured not by points on the scoreboard, but by the number of defensive stops.
"We were a good-shooting team last year but didn't have the rebounding or defense," Simpson said. "We gave up way too many offensive rebounds to opposing teams. We are working at playing much better team defense and go through a lot of rebounding drills every day in practice.
"Even though we started out 6-6 and the record doesn't show it, we're doing a much better job defensively than last year. We're better at communicating with each other, and we are starting to work together on offense. We still want to get more stops because our offense comes from our defense."
A new coaching staff installing a different system and new players trying to blend in with the returnees makes this DePaul team a definite work in progress.
"Freshmen Erten Gazi and Eli Cain are going to help us," Simpson said. "Erten is a tough, hard-nosed player and a good defender. Eli is very athletic, a natural scorer and brings size as well at 6-6.
"I've seen a lot of improvement in R.J. Curington. He is an energy guy who is playing with more confidence this year. Myke Henry is getting better and better, and the coaches are staying on him to not settle for anything less than his best."
And then there is 6-11 Tommy Hamilton IV, the team's biggest player who could wind up making the biggest difference.
"For the most part, Tommy's attitude has changed," Simpson said. "He is making better decisions this season, and Tommy seems to be more willing to learn. He is embracing the new stuff and learning to be more patient.
"Everyone doesn't mature at the same speed. I hang out with him, and people don't realize how Tommy jokes a lot and is a good dancer. It's great having a chance to get to know him better and to play with him.
"Tommy is an awesome player. When I get him the ball down low, it's either a foul or a basket. He knows there's a lot more work to do with his attitude and his play, but everything is going to be fine."
As one of the team's elder statesmen, Simpson is looking out for a lot more than just No. 1.
"My goals this season are to make this a family thing with everyone on the same page instead of having players on different islands not buying into a common cause," Simpson said. "I'd like us to win more games and get to the postseason. I want my last team at DePaul to go out with a bang and leave a great memory."
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The 2015-16 DePaul men's basketball tickets are on sale now at www.depaulbluedemons.com/tickets. Join in and be part of the BIG EAST action all season long at Allstate Arena. Flexible mini packages including the BIG EAST 9 or PICK 6 as well as group ticket offers are available for purchase and feature great savings off of single game ticket rates. Call the DePaul ticket office at (773) 325-SLAM (7526) and speak with a ticket representative to learn more about joining the excitement of DePaul athletics.
