Incoming UM freshman Simpson draws comparisons to Burke
Lima, Ohio — If X equals Y, and X is Xavier Simpson, solve for Y.
That's an easy one.
Y would be one Trey Burke.
"I do," Michigan coach John Beilein was saying recently, asked if he sees significant comparisons between the two, other than they're both from Ohio.
"I see the dog in him, and I mean that in a positive. He goes out there and guards people and plays and he's a high competitor.
"This guy might be a guy that comes in the door with those competitive instincts."
Simpson, the 19-year-old winner of Mr. Basketball in Ohio who friends and family refer to, simply, as "X," is arguably the prize of Michigan's 2016 recruiting class, expected to contribute the moment he walks in the door — and maybe even push senior Derrick Walton Jr. and junior Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman for serious minutes at the point-guard position.
It wouldn't be at all unlike what another freshman from Ohio, Burke, was able to do as a freshman at Michigan, not that long ago.
The News caught up with Simpson back in March, during a practice at the modest, dully-lit Lima Senior High gym -- which, interestingly, features scarlet and grey colors, and a big Spartan logo, no doubt reminders of his two biggest rivals moving forward.
"It definitely influenced me," Simpson, absolutely chiseled at 6-foot and 170 pounds, said of Burke's career at Michigan, where he spent two years, including one getting to the national-championship game, before heading to the NBA.
"I mean, like when Michigan was recruiting me, that definitely came to mind. Hopefully, I can follow this path and have success there like he did."
Michigan would love that, too.
After missing the NCAA Tournament two seasons ago and sneaking in — albeit, with impressive, late-season grit — this past season, the Wolverines seem a long, long way from the NCAA championship game, which, in fact, was just three calendar years ago.
Beilein and his staff believe this year's recruiting class, led by Simpson and including big men Austin Davis and Jon Teske, and guard Ibi Watson, also from Ohio, can continue helping the program climb its way back to the mountaintop.
Second in line
Simpson wasn't Michigan's first choice for a point-guard recruit in the class of 2016.
He knows that, and was never offended by that. Michigan had been up-front all along in the process — it wanted Cassius Winston of Detroit Jesuit, and was waiting on his decision.
Winston eventually chose Michigan State, and Michigan then turned hard to Simpson, who had a preliminary final four of Iowa State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Miami (Florida).
Some kids, especially in this era of athletics, would be offended to not be Plan A.
Simpson isn't most kids. He appreciated Beilein's frankness.
"They were honest with me from the beginning, they were waiting on Cassius Winston," Simpson said. "They told me I was gonna be the No. 2 spot.
"Yeah, some kids would take as like, 'I'm too good for that.' Some kids might sit back and see the future holds. But they told me that from the beginning, the first phone call.
"That just shows a lot about the coaching staff, that they're up-front and honest, which is important."
It's not that way everywhere, of course.
"I've been through that before. A lot of coaches would be like kind of waiting around, kind of beating around the bush," Simpson said. "That means a lot, shows me a lot about their character."
Character is a big part of Simpson, no doubt instilled plenty by his head coach at Lima Senior — Quincy Simpson, who also happens to be his father.
The theory was, Michigan or Michigan State would turn to Simpson, depending on which team didn't get Winston. Quincy Simpson had contacts at UM, but not MSU — so he called up UM to see where they stood, and that got the ball rolling.
UM and Simpson were in some contact for about a month, even when the public wasn't privy to that.
"We didn't look at it as a second choice, we looked at it, they're recruiting the best guard in their state, in their backyard. In our opinion, that's what they had to do," Quincy Simpson said. "We looked at it like, that's what Ohio State should be doing to us, and we understood that."
Interestingly, Ohio State never was a factor.
It had signed, instead, a point guard from Dayton, Ohio, A.J. Harris, for the 2015 class. Harris then transferred out of Ohio State this spring — after Simpson's stock had soared, and the Lima Senior guard had signed with Ohio State's chief rival.
Simpson had a senior year for the ages, scoring a school-record 59 points in a December game against Fremont. He was pulled halfway through the fourth quarter.
Less than two months later, against the same Fremont team, Quincy Simpson expected a different defense, anything to try and stop Xavier Simpson. It didn't happen, and he scored 65 this time.
Both games, he outscored the opponent by himself.
And his teammates, some talented ones among them, couldn't have been happier.
"They're very supportive. That was the thing that really opened my eyes up," Xavier Simpson said. "There was not one person on the team that may not want to pass me the ball.
"It was to the point where they were fighting, saying, 'Let me get the record-breaking assist!'"
The games put dad in an uncomfortable spot. He didn't want his son to embarrass the other team, nor did he want to be accused of leaving his son in longer than he should've.
But he was prodded by the assistants to leave him in the first game.
And the second game, it was his son, who told dad, "You only live once."
It was a season of so many ups for Simpson and Co., and just one down. Lima Senior, 29-0 coming in, lost in the Division 1 state-championship game to Westerville South, 57-55. Simpson had 17 points, just rimming out on a potential winning half-court shot at the buzzer.
It would've been his own "Kansas" moment, like Burke had in 2013.
"Big shot," Simpson said, smiling.
For his senior season, Simpson averaged 31 points, six assists, 5.6 rebounds and three steals.
Go blue
For Simpson, Michigan proved the easy choice of his original final four — mostly, for the education. He plans to major in engineering, heeding the advice from dad to be prepared for a real job when his basketball career is over.
Simpson graduated with honors for Lima Senior, located in a rough town in the Rust Belt. On a recent trip to campus, some students were lighting up cigarettes before they got in the car.
Simpson's not putting any great expectations on himself for his first season at Michigan, even if Beilein is open to all possibilities.
"Because of his talent and the need for him to come in and play right away, we hope he's gonna be able to do that," Beilein said. "Most players, physically and mentally, that takes an adjustment. He's gonna get a great opportunity to get in there and play a lot."
Simpson got to know his future teammates during a visit to campus last July, taking a definite liking to Walton, the veteran point guard.
"I chatted with him a lot. He's a great guard, definitely a role model. In practice, he works very hard, he's very active," Simpson said.
"The most I can do when I come there is just basically listen to them and take advice."
This summer, he joins a team that returns all five starters from the end of last season — Walton, Abdur-Rahkman, Zak Irvin, Duncan Robinson and Mark Donnal.
But the opportunities should be there for several of the freshmen, starting with Simpson, especially after the transferring out of four players.
Simpson's arrival was a big reason Michigan and the popular Spike Albrecht agreed there was no fit for his fifth year of eligibility, so he'll be a graduate transfer at Purdue.
That should tell you what they think of Simpson, heavily recruited by Bacari Alexander, who since has left Michigan to become head coach at Detroit.
A whole heck of a lot — not unlike a kid from Ohio, Burke, who came to Michigan before him.
"Beilein has been known for developing kids, turning young men into grown men. I like that about him," Quincy Simpson said. "We're very happy, very blessed, to be going to Michigan."
tpaul@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tonypaul1984