Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from Wolverines win over Ohio State
Simpson is equal to Cassius Winston as Big Ten’s best point guard
There are going to be some interesting one-on-one matchups when Michigan basketball takes on Michigan State, but none should be better than Zavier Simpson and Cassius Winston, the two guys likely battling for All-Big Ten First Team at point guard.
Winston is a very skilled player, it’s not hard to realize that and his stats are off the charts with over 18 points a game to go along with seven assists. He also gets to the free throw line nearly five times per game, however, does he impact the game on both ends like Simpson?
Handles colder than the polar vortex. ❄️
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 30, 2019
Sky hook silky like Kareem.@umichbball's @Xaviersimpson3, ladies and gentlemen: pic.twitter.com/9O1PIuhO6U
That’s a tough point to argue.
To be honest, it seems like Simpson makes more of an impact on both ends than any other Michigan basketball player. This Wolverines team is very balanced and has a bunch of star-caliber player, yet, Simpson might be the most important.
In the second half against Ohio State, he proved that. For the season, he is scoring just 9.6 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists, while turning it over just 1.5 times per game. Those aren’t Winston-like numbers but with what he brings on defense too, Simpson is arguably the best point man in the Big Ten.