Simpson playing vital role for Senators during sophomore season
MORRISTOWN, TN – All it took was a 5-10 minute phone call for Micah Simpson to decide that another year at Walters State was exactly what he needed.
It was the summer of 2023, and Simpson was on the verge of moving on to Tusculum University following a freshman season at Walters State that saw him earn 2nd Team All-TCCAA honors.
However, right about this time, Walters State men's basketball coach Jerry Nichols stepped on campus to replace the retiring Bill Carlyle. Nichols, knowing what Simpson had done that season and in high school at Morristown East, gave him a call.
And as they say, the rest was history.
Simpson, and the rest of his teammates, joined up with Nichols and bought into what he has taught them. That has led to a 25-2 record and a TCCAA Regular Season Championship.
"We were on the phone for 5-10 minutes, and he told me he wanted me to come back but he also said that he doesn't wait long and he could go out and recruit other players," Simpson said. "After we hung up, I thought about it and called him back up and told him I was staying."
Following his decision to stay, Simpson immediately went to work with Nichols. The main thing Nichols wanted Simpson to improve on was his shot selection. The numbers and percentages don't lie, and this season has been a prime example of that.
A year after finishing the season shooting 31% from 3-point range, Simpson leads the conference and is eighth in the country in 3-point percentage at 47.7%. Simpson has 66 assists this season, as opposed to 45 last year, and has cut his turnovers down to 27.
Simpson has taken 27 fewer 3-pointers this season but has made 13 more.
"From day one, we talked about shot selection," Nichols said. "Although he's been a really good player over the course of years, he took some questionable shots at times. When I first took the job, we looked at all of his shots and talked about his percentages. The one thing that I'm always harping on is taking good shots. I feel like over the course of the season, he has just gotten so much better at taking great shots and making the right play. He's passing more and has more assists and less turnovers. That has resulted in D-I and D-II opportunities. I'm proud of what he has done, and I think he has grown up and matured as a basketball player."
A big factor in the increased percentages for Simpson is the offense that the Senators run under Nichols. As a team, Walters State is averaging 97 points per game and take almost 29 3-pointers and 68 shots per game.
That tempo plays right into Simpson's style, and he's loved every second of it.
"It matches me a lot," Simpson said. "I run the floor hard and am pretty fast. In this offense, I feel like it makes shots easier for me instead of forcing things or rushing shots. We're just shooting and knocking things down."
Another factor into the increased offensive production from Simpson has been his point guard. JR Jacobs leads the country in assists per game at 8.6 and runs the offense just as Nichols wants it to be.
"He's definitely helping a lot," Simpson said. "Having a point guard with his size, it's hard for teams to keep up with him. His vision definitely helps, too."
While the offensive production has been well and good for Simpson, he feels like defense is where he has improved the most.
Nichols agreed and said "the want to" has been the difference for Simpson this season on that side of the floor.
"We play a different brand of basketball, pressing all game," Nichols said. "When you do that, you have to play defense because it's going to show if you don't. I think he has done and excelled at containing the bounce and staying in front of his man and putting more emphasis on being in position."
As far as leadership goes, Nichols has been very complimentary of what his sophomore group has been able to do and their ability to buy into his system and the way he runs a basketball program.
"Micah's been a great leader," Nichols said. "My sophomore group has been good. They've been exactly what I want them to be this season. They've set the standard of what I want Walters State basketball to be on and off the court. 3.1 GPA , that's key. These guys have set the foundation for what we're expecting Walters State to look like for the next 10-12 years."
The leadership from Simpson doesn't stop with the team, either. Simpson has been a well-known face in Morristown ever since he was a kid, all the way through his time at Morristown East.
Now, all grown-up and still producing highlight-reel plays around town, his leadership in the community is vital as kids in the area look up to him and see Walters State as a place to go in order to gain opportunities to play basketball at the next level.
"It's definitely a big influence," Nichols said. "When you think about having a local kid from the Morristown area doing extremely well and having opportunities to play at the next level, I'm hoping that inspires other student-athletes from this area to be more engaged in Walters State athletics. Not just basketball, but the whole athletic department. They can see that you don't have to go outside of town.
"When you look at what AD (Derek) Creech and Dr. (Tony) Miksa have really invested into Walters State athletics, it's a great sight to see. Hopefully the community will come out to the games more and support more because when you win the way this athletic program has, you take it for granted. We want them to understand that we need them in order to be successful, as well."
The Senators are back in action on Saturday, starting postseason play. The Senators are the No. 1 seed in the TCCAA Tournament, hosted by Motlow State, and will play at 1 p.m. ET.
For Simpson and the Senators, they know that they need to stay together if they want to keep this impressive season going and qualify for the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.
"We just have to stay bought in and together," Simpson said. "Everything else will work out if we do that. Coach is going to make sure we're prepared and ready for every game. I feel like if we just stay together and stay bought in, we'll make a run."
Rob Harvey
Walters State Community College
Sports Information Director
Cell: (423) 779-8880
Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu
Website: www.ws.edu/athletics