Zavier Simpson was a team leader at Michigan; Where is he now?
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (BVM) — Former University of Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson left quite an impression on the basketball program. The Lima, Ohio native went through a coaching change late in his college career and still thrived, guiding the Wolverines to some success before graduating from U of M in 2020. Where is Simpson now?
From Lima, Ohio to Michigan
Basketball is part of the family. The 6-footer started out at Lima Central Catholic High School. He switched over to Lima Senior High School his junior year after his dad, Quincey, took charge as head basketball coach. That seems to have been the right call as Zavier won the Associated Press Ohio Mr. Basketball award in 2016.
Zavier set off to the University of Michigan. He played four seasons at U of M, from 2016-2020. He began his career in maize and blue playing 135 consecutive games. As a sophomore in 2018, he seized Michigan’s Rudy Tomjanovich Most Improved Player honor.
Team captain
As a junior, he became team captain and held that role through his senior year. In 2019, he scored 8.8 points and dished 6.6 assists per game. Simpson claimed a number of awards that season, including All-Big Ten second team, Big Ten All-Defense, All-Big Ten Tournament, first team and the U of M Bill Buntin Most Valuable Player.
As a senior, Simpson averaged 12.9 points and 7.9 assists a game. He led the Big Ten in assists that season. Plus he added a 2019-20 All-Big Ten second-team nod. Simpson steered U of M to an NCAA Tournament final as well as two regional semifinals during his years with the Wolverines.
Captain Hook concluded his college career with the most wins of any player at Michigan. Simpson earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of Literature, Science and the Arts.
Post-Michigan life
In November 2020, Simpson signed with the Los Angeles Lakers before being released shortly after. In October 2021, he inked a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, though was quickly optioned down to their G-League affiliate.
Last spring he came to terms with the Thunder after a tour with their G-League team Oklahoma City Blue. During his 32-game run with the Blue, Simpson posted 12.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists in slightly over 30 minutes per game. In September 2022, he agreed to terms with the Orlando Magic. Simpson was then waived the following month.
Now, he can be found playing for their G League team, the Lakeland Magic. Just a few days ago, he logged a huge stat line: 26 points, 16 assists and seven rebounds in a win over the Skyhawks.
26 PTS 🧙🏾♂️ 16 AST 🧙🏾♂️ 7 REB
Zavier Simpson posted a monster double-double and tied his CAREER-HIGH in assists to lead the Magic over the Skyhawks! @LakelandMagic pic.twitter.com/6G4JWjDa8u
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) January 3, 2023
It’s clear, his career isn’t done yet.
