NGS HOOPS
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Senior guard Derek Simpson has been a key figure for Saint Joseph's University this season, emerging as one of the Hawks' most consistent playmakers and leaders on both ends of the court. The 6'3" guard from Mount Laurel, New Jersey has fully embraced his role in his final collegiate season and his production reflects that growth.
Simpson's 2025-26 campaign has been his most complete to date. He is averaging around 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, showcasing his ability to fill up the stat sheet in multiple ways. His ability to rebound at a strong rate for a guard and distribute the ball effectively has made him a central part of Saint Joseph's offense.
He has delivered in big moments, including leading performances in recent wins where he scored in double figures and helped the Hawks secure tight victories. Simpson's scoring is balanced with playmaking, and he has shown he can take over a game when his team needs it. In one standout outing this season, he scored 19 points in a win over Richmond that also featured him grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds, proving his competitiveness on both ends of the floor.
Simpson's impact goes beyond his individual numbers. As a senior leader, he sets the tone with his work ethic, poise, and willingness to do whatever the team needs. His versatility, scoring, rebounding, facilitating, and defending gives Saint Joseph's flexibility on offense and stability in pressure situations. The Hawks have leaned on his experience and leadership as they position themselves for a strong finish in the Atlantic 10 Conference and beyond.
With Simpson anchoring the backcourt, Saint Joseph's has a steady presence capable of shaping the team's identity on the floor. As the season continues, his performance and leadership will be central to how the Hawks perform in the final stretch and the postseason.
1. You've been a huge catalyst for St. Joe's recent success, especially with your strong stretch where you're averaging 16.7 points, 6.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2 steals over the last nine games. What adjustments or mindset changes have helped you elevate your game this season?Â
I think the simple adjustment for me was just getting more reps after practice and being able to watch the game film on my shots and all my techniques. I think the mindset that I've been able to have the past couple weeks has been to just play more free instead of tense. I feel like as a team we were playing tense, and it just started to spread to everyone not allowing us to be free in the moment.
2. As a senior leader on a team that has responded well in tight games, how do you view your role in helping younger players grow and stay composed during crucial moments?Â
To the younger guys, I just tell them just live in the moment and just take all the experience you can and while it's in front of you. I think the moment that you go through towards the end of the game and being able to make big-time plays when it's crunch time allows you to slowly grow into that experienced college basketball player. I think when you start looking at the situation as the last couple minutes of a game instead of just playing the game, you trick your mind into getting more nervous and not being able to focus within that moment, so my advice is just think of its just the middle of the game and whatever the situation is it is and we just gotta figure out how to make sure we got more points.
3. Looking ahead to the final stretch of the season and potential postseason play, what personal goals have you set for yourself and what does success look like for you and Saint Joseph's as a team?Â
The personal goals are more so like keep being able to get the reps you need before or after practice and allow myself to just be free in a moment. I think when I'm able to be free in the moment and just be myself, I allow myself to be the best me and sometimes that's all you can ask of yourself. Yeah I want the accolades the first or the second or the third team but if I can't be myself, then I won't even be close to that so my goal is to just be myself and just be free for my team and for myself as a whole. I just want the team to just be happy that we are playing basketball honestly through this last month. I think if we're able to stick together as a team, even if things go bad this next month I think we have a shot of doing something great for this university and for ourselves.
