Tag: KJ Simpson

Colorado men’s basketball 2023-24 player profile: KJ Simpson

KJ Simpson is looking like an improved player early in his junior season

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team has a trio of stars who will lead the team this season. We have already highlighted forwards Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams, but we’ll now focus our attention on junior point guard KJ Simpson.

Simpson has been chomping at the bit to get back on the court after missing the last few games of last season due to illness. Now that CU is near full strength, this could be a bounce-back season for the Buffs, and Simpson will play a pivotal role in how far this team goes.

Below is a breakdown of what Simpson brings to the Buffs:

Trio of Buffs earn preseason All-Pac-12 men’s basketball honors

Three Buffs received preseason All-Pac-12 men’s basketball honors

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team is gaining some steam heading into the 2023-2024 season, and the debut of freshman Cody Williams is a big reason why. The Pac-12 preseason polls came out earlier this week, and the Buffs were selected to finish fifth in the conference.

The Pac-12’s preseason all-conference teams were also announced and three Buffs were listed: forward Tristan da Silva, guard KJ Simpson and forward Cody Williams. Both Simpson and da Silva made the First Team and Williams was tabbed as an honorable mention.

Here is the entire All-Pac-12 First Team, as voted on by the media:

Oumar Ballo, Arizona
Adem Bona, UCLA
Keion Brooks Jr., Washington
Branden Carlson, Utah
Isaiah Collier, USC
N’Faly Dante, Oregon
Tristan da Silva, Colorado
Boogie Ellis, USC
Spencer Jones, Stanford
KJ Simpson, Colorado

The honorable mention was given to players with five or more votes. Besides Williams, the list included Kwame Evans Jr. (Oregon), Pelle Larsson (Arizona) and Aday Mara (UCLA).

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CU men’s basketball below full strength early in preseason camp

Tad Boyle’s squad began preseason camp on Monday with a few key players looking to get healthy

With as much attention as the Colorado football team is currently drawing, the Buffs men’s basketball team should draw plenty of eyeballs as well in their upcoming 2023-2024 season.

Top prospect and projected NBA lottery pick Cody Williams is a huge reason why, and head coach Tad Boyle is trying to do whatever it takes to make the NCAA Tournament.

The Buffs, however, held their first preseason practice on Monday without a few prominent names, per Nikki Edwards of CU Sports Report.

J’Vonne Hadley is dealing with an illness but should be back later in the week. KJ Simpson, who should be one of the Pac-12’s top point guards this season, has an ankle injury and Eddie Lampkin Jr., a center who transferred in from TCU, has a back injury that is going to keep him out for some time.

None of that is good news, although the situations with Hadley and Simpson are temporary and Lampkin is expected to be ready when the season begins.

As training camp continues, it will be interesting to see if the Buffs can stay healthy heading into the season, especially with high expectations.

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CU men’s basketball dishes out 2022-23 team awards

Five different Buffs received team awards for their efforts during the 2022-23 season

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team missed the NCAA Tournament but wound up in the NIT for the second straight season. The Buffs topped Seton Hall but then lost to Utah Valley in the second round by 12 points.

With the college basketball season officially over, the Buffs handed out team awards for the 2022-23 season. The Buffs finished 18-17 but have a ton of promise for next season with Cody Williams being the talk of the town and Colorado landing in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25 rankings.

Here is a quick rundown of the players who received team awards for their efforts this season:

Colorado men’s basketball recap: Buffs fall short of upsetting No. 4 UCLA

CU’s upset attempt came up just short

Sunday’s Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball game against No. 4 UCLA was eerily similar to the women’s upset bid against No. 2 Stanford. Colorado jumped out to an early double-digit lead in the first half, but the Bruins fought their way back to secure the four-point victory, 60-56.

The Buffs held the duo of Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. in check, only allowing UCLA to shoot 40.7% overall from the field while also limiting the Bruins to only one 3-point make in 14 attempts. Shot-making was the killer for the Buffs tonight, as they themselves only hit 33.3% from the field, plus they missed 10 free-throws (13-for-23) in a four-point game.

Luke O’Brien was a bright spot for the Buffaloes as he achieved his first career double-double, scoring 13 points and hauling in 10 rebounds. The duo of Tristian da Silva and KJ Simpson were the other double-digit scorers for the Buffaloes, adding 13 and 14 points, respectively. There was a scary moment in the waning minutes when da Silva went down with an apparent ankle injury and hobbled back to the locker room under his own power.

Colorado will close out the regular season on Saturday against the Utah Utes on senior day in the Buffs’ final tune-up before the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.

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KJ Simpson takes home Pac-12 Player of the Week

KJ Simpson’s big week earned him some recognition

During a rollercoaster week for the Colorado men’s basketball team, KJ Simpson was solid throughout and then some for the Buffs.

The sophomore point guard averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in three games — wins over UC Riverside and No. 11 Tennessee and a disappointing loss to Grambling State. His first career double-double also came with 23 points and 10 rebounds against the Vols. With those numbers and his leading a historic upset, Simpson was named the inaugural Pac-12 Player of the Week for the 2022-23 season.

Last year, Simpson received freshman of the week honors twice and he’s now the first Buff since McKinley Wright IV in 2021 to earn player of the week.

Colorado next faces UMASS in the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Thursday.

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Tristan da Silva, KJ Simpson receive preseason All-Pac-12 honors

A pair of Buffs were recognized on the preseason men’s basketball All-Pac-12 teams

Colorado men’s basketball forward Tristan da Silva and guard KJ Simpson were each named to the preseason men’s basketball All-Pac-12 team, the conference announced Monday.

As voted on by the media, Da Silva, a junior, made the second team, and the sophomore Simpson was an honorable mention. Both of those Buffs should play critical roles this season for a team in search of its third consecutive postseason appearance.

Last year, da Silva averaged 9.4 points and was second on the team in field goal shooting at 47.9%. Simpson made his mark early in the season coming off the bench and he ultimately led the Buffs with 86 assists.

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KJ Simpson, Julian Hammond III set to run the point for CU Buffs

KJ Simpson and Julian Hammond III are both set for big sophomore campaigns

The 2021-2022 Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team had a decent season. Unfortunately, it ended in a first-round NIT loss to St. Bonaventure.

Jabari Walker headed for the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers, Evan Battey went to play overseas and Keeshawn Barthelemy transferred to Oregon, so Tad Boyle’s team looks quite different.

So, there are quite a few changes for the Buffs going into the 2022-2023 basketball season. One of the biggest questions is regarding the point guard position.

As the roster stands, both KJ Simpson and Julian Hammond III should be getting ample minutes at point guard. As the Buffs navigate their first week of official practice, head coach Tad Boyle said he is confident in his two sophomores (h/t Pat Rooney of Buff Zone):

“It’s not just Julian and KJ, but those are the two main guys in terms of returning (players). I’ve got a lot of confidence in both of them. And it’s not an either-or situation.”

Boyle even compared the Buffs’ current situation at guard to how Spencer Dinwiddie and Nate Tomlinson were used together.

“I look at Julian and KJ the same way. As long as defensively I feel like we can get done what we need to get done, those two kids could play together a lot. We’ll see how that goes, but I feel really good about both of them.”

Simpson and Hammond were both Pac-12 Freshman of the Week Award winners last year and if they can progress anything like Tomlinson and Dinwiddie, that is terrific news for Boyle’s team, especially considering the losses from last year’s group.

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Jon Rothstein expects big things next season from KJ Simpson

Jon Rothstein highlighted KJ Simpson on the USA East Coast Basketball roster

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball program is expected to have another strong season, even with the departures of Evan Battey and Jabari Walker to pro basketball.

Keeshawn Barthelemy also transferred to Oregon. Nonetheless, the Buffs have a lot of promise, especially with the young talent on the roster.

One guy expected to take a major step forward is KJ Simpson, who blossomed in a lot of opportunities last season for the Buffs.

Simpson is on the USA East Coast basketball roster, and they are headed for Barcelona soon. Simpson was named the freshman of the week twice in the Pac-12 and showcased plenty of skills.

That is a loaded roster full of sophomores and juniors. College hoops insider Jon Rothstein also pegged Simpson as a breakout candidate for the 2022-23 season.

The starting point guard role is suddenly open for Simpson to take, and the departure of Barthelemy and some others should allow him to get significant minutes.

Simpson averaged 7.4 points per game with 2.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists across 32 contests for the Buffs, and head coach Tad Boyle used him more and more throughout the season.

Simpson earning attention from the national media surely is a step in the right direction and a telling sign.

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KJ Simpson set for bigger role following Keeshawn Barthelemy’s departure

With Keeshawn Barthelemy now gone, KJ Simpson is primed for a bigger role next season

The Colorado Buffaloes are still recovering from the bitter taste after Keeshawn Barthelemy decided to transfer to join the Oregon Ducks.

It isn’t entirely surprising that Barthelemy decided to enter the transfer portal, but his move to Eugene is a big blow and won’t help the Buffs, especially since they have to play the Ducks at least twice next season.

Nonetheless, one Buffs player expected to receive an uptick after the move is KJ Simpson, who came on strong last season.

Simpson earned Freshman of the Week honors twice during the season, and now with both Barthelemy and Elijah Parquet out of Boulder (Parquet transferred to UNLV), it might mean a massive role for Simpson, and Pat Rooney of BuffZone mentioned exactly that:

Although fellow freshman and former Cherry Creek star Julian Hammond III received the starting nod for the final five games of the 2021-22 season, it is Simpson’s potential as a play-maker that makes his first full offseason at CU a critical one for the Buffs’ fortunes in 2022-23.

Simpson finished his first year with the Buffs and averaged 7.3 PPG with 2.7 assists across 32 games and played just north of 21 minutes per contest.

Those are decent numbers for a first-year player, and another year with the system, as well as a more enhanced role, should be beneficial to both Simpson and the Buffs.

After earning a pair of Freshman of the Week honors in the Pac-12, perhaps more accolades are in Simpson’s future with more minutes available.

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