Colorado guard KJ Simpson drives against Arizona State guard Jose Perez in Pac-12 basketball on Feb. 8, 2024.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
There have been big seasons aplenty among the Colorado standouts under head coach Tad Boyle.
The one being put together by KJ Simpson just might top them all.
Simpson shook off a rare off night to come through in the clutch once again for the CU men’s basketball team on Saturday at USC, recording the fifth 30-point game of his career. Although the Buffs at their best have showcased a balanced attack with multiple weapons, it is Simpson who has spurred them since the season’s opening tip in November.
While putting together a late postseason push remains priority No. 1, Simpson nonetheless will look to continue what is on track to be an all-time individual season in program history when the Buffs host Utah on Saturday (7 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
“It’s just been so consistent game after game,” Boyle said. “And 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. 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.”
Under Boyle, now in his 14th season, Buffs players have collected 13 first team all-conference honors, six other second-team honors and a pair of Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year awards. Seven of Boyle’s players have heard their names called in the NBA draft. Yet few, if any, of the seasons involved in those accolades have matched the one being authored by Simpson.
Simpson takes a scoring average of 19.9 into the Utah game, and only Alec Burks’ mark of 20.5 points per game in 2010-11 ranks higher in the Boyle era. Simpson is outpacing Burks’ season in overall field goal percentage (.488 for Simpson, .469 for Burks) and 3-point percentage (.445 for Simpson, .292 for Burks). Derrick White put together a comparable season in 2016-17, averaging 18.1 points and 4.4 assists with a .507 shooting percentage. But not only does Simpson own a superior mark from long range, he also currently tops White in assists per game (4.7) and assist-to-turnover rate (2.12 for Simpson, 1.83 for White).
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With a free throw percentage of .881, Simpson is on pace to break the CU season record of .866 set by Cory Higgins in 2010-11. If the season ended now he also would rank among CU’s top five all-time season leaders in 3-point percentage, and he also has a chance to finish among the Buffs’ top-10 all-time season leaders in made field goals, made 3-pointers and total assists.
Additionally, Simpson is on pace to finish among the top 20 leaders in single-season steals, and he has made an impressive leap on the boards, averaging 5.6 per game. The 6-foot-2 Simpson ranks ninth in Pac-12 games with 6.5 rebounds per game. Of the eight players ahead of Simpson, only California’s 6-foot-7 Jaylon Tyson is shorter than 6-foot-9.
To find a similar across-the-board stat line in CU men’s hoops lore, you have to go back to Chauncey Billups’ second and final season in Boulder in 1996-97. The CU legend averaged 19.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists with a .413 field goal percentage, a .401 3-point percentage, and an assist-to-turnover rate of 1.65.
“He’s doing it all,” Boyle said. “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 him. He’s doing a really good job, especially on the defensive glass. Which is great, because now when he gets a rebound we don’t have to outlet the ball. He can just bring it and start our fast break.”
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