Junior guard K.J. Simpson waits for J’Vonne Hadley to set up a screen during the game against Arizona State University on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. (Kaitlyn Riordan/CU Independent)
Continuing his stellar season, junior guard K.J. Simpson helped lead the University of Colorado Boulder to a 92-89 double-overtime win against the University of Southern California Trojans. The Buffaloes came back despite being down 16 points in the second half to secure their second road win of the season.
Led by guard K.J. Simpson with 30 points, nine rebounds and five assists, CU Boulder now moves to 17-9 (8-7 Pac-12) on the 2023-24 season.
Simpson was the on-court leader for the Buffaloes all night, as the junior scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half. J’Vonne Hadley also had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
The Buffaloes were down 16 points with less than 10 minutes to go but somehow managed to tie the game up with three seconds left after a Luke O’Brien layup to send it to overtime. In the first extra period, neither team could get out to a big lead, but the Buffaloes were able to outscore the Trojans 9-6 in the final period to walk away with a win.
“I’m not big on historical wins and stuff like that, but I know this was the grittiest, grittiest win I’ve experienced at Colorado in a long, long time,” CU Boulder head coach Tad Boyle said after the game. “Our guys deserved it for all the things we’ve been through. All the injuries and just coming up short so many times. Tonight, we figured out a way to come out a winner. Sometimes it’s not pretty, but you find a way to win, and our guys did that tonight.”
Senior forward Tristan da Silva attempts a jump shot during the game against the University of Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (Tyler Phillips/CU Independent)
Before the double-overtime win against USC, the Buffaloes lost a close game to the University of California, Los Angeles last Thursday. Though they matched the Bruins in most statistical categories, they only managed to score 60 points and eventually lost by four in a game that seemed to slip away at the end. In their two most recent games, the Buffaloes have given up a total of 35 turnovers, which exceeds their 13.5 average given up per game.
Though the Buffaloes certainly wanted to leave their California road trip with two wins, they once again couldn’t put all the pieces together to win at other arenas. They are currently 2-4 in their last six games but still sit fifth in the Pac-12 Conference standings.
The win against USC was a must-win for the Buffaloes, and that could easily be seen through K.J. Simpson on Saturday night. The junior finished with his second-best scoring and rebounding game of the season, making 11 of his 17 shots while also making six of his nine three-point shots.
In a season that has seen ups and downs from Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams, Simpson has been CU Boulder’s most important player this season.
Junior guard K.J. Simpson looking to pass the ball during the game against the University of Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (Tyler Phillips/CU Independent)
This year, he is averaging all-career highs in the form of 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Simpson leads the team in points, assists, steals and minutes per game as he continues to rise in recent NBA Mock Drafts.
Most recently, he was also named on the Naismith Award Midseason Team and Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List, both of which highlight the best college basketball players in the country.
“Not that he’s played great every single night, but just his impact on the game, his competitiveness, his toughness, his effort; it’s there every night,” Boyle said postgame about Simpson. “He doesn’t have a bad night effort-wise. He doesn’t have a bad night with his motor. That says a lot because it’s very rare that you have that.”
The game on Saturday was Simpson’s fifth 30-point game of the season, and he is currently on pace to have the best statistical season from any player coached under Boyle for the Buffaloes. He is also set to break the single-season free throw percentage record for the school and is putting up stats similar only to CU Boulder greats Derrick White, Alec Burks and Chauncy Billups.
In his freshman year, Simpson only averaged seven points a game. Last year, that average increased to 15.9 points a game in his elevated role. In his standout third season, Simpson hit almost 20 points a game.
“He’s doing it all,” Boyle said after the game against USC. “He’s in the top 10 in the league in rebounding, and he’s the only guard in there. It’s all bigs. He’s doing it all, and I’m really proud of him.”
Junior guard K.J. Simpson goes for a jump shot during the game against the University of Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (Tyler Phillips/CU Independent)
Though what he has done on the court this year hasn’t been seen in a while in Boulder, Simpson hasn’t been the only star for the Buffaloes.
Senior forward Tristan da Silva is averaging 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, just about matching his statistics from last season despite the increased pressure from opposing defenses. Cody Williams has also proved very important for the Buffaloes this year despite his injuries, averaging 14.2 points on a team-high 59% shooting.
It has been a roller coaster of a season for the Buffaloes after starting 12-2 but going 5-7 in the new year. There have been dominant wins followed by blowout losses, but not all hope is lost. The Buffaloes have some of the best players in the conference and currently sit fifth in the Pac-12. With only five games left on their regular season schedule, every game is now more important than ever.
With Simpson’s stand-out play against USC over the weekend, there is still hope for the Buffaloes.
Head coach Tad Boyle observes from the sidelines during the game against the University of Arizona on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (Tyler Phillips/CU Independent)
Their next game will come on Saturday, Feb. 24. The CU Boulder men’s basketball team will host the Utah Utes at the CU Events Center starting at 7 p.m. MST. That game will be followed by the Buffaloes’ last two home games of the season, playing Cal on Wednesday, Feb. 28, and Stanford on Sunday, March 3.
Contact CU Independent Assistant Sports Editor Eli Gregorski at elgr9735@colorado.edu
