Derek Simpson’s ‘eye-opening experience’ at Rutgers led him to the right fit at St. Joe’s

St. Joseph’s was one of Derek Simpson’s top schools while he was a senior at Lenape High School three years ago. However, Rutgers won the recruiting battle back then.

But after the 6-foot-3 guard spent two years in Piscataway, N.J., he decided it was time for a change.

A sophomore, Simpson entered the transfer portal earlier in the spring, and the Hawks were on his list of top schools once again. This time he decided to take a chance on fifth-year head coach Billy Lange, announcing his commitment to St. Joe’s on April 2.

“My mom and my dad were a big part of my recruitment coming out of high school,” Simpson said. “My dad and my mom kind of told me, ‘This is your decision. This is your basketball career. This is how you want to spend the rest of your college years.’ I really started to figure it out by myself. I think this is one of the biggest decisions I’ve made for myself in a while because this is my career, and I want to spend the next two years at St. Joe’s. That’s my goal.”

Simpson played in 66 games during his two seasons at Rutgers. He started 25 of 32 games this past season, averaging 8.3 points and 2.9 assists while shooting 30.5% from the field and 28.2% from three-point range.

Fordham, Delaware, and George Washington were other programs he was considering, Simpson said, but he believed the Atlantic 10 Conference would be a better fit.

“The Big 10 was probably one of the best experiences I went through because I played against a lot of great players,” he added. “But at this point in my career I’m just trying to go where it fits me the best and where I have the opportunity to thrive at the best of my ability.”

Lange was in his third season when Simpson was a senior at Lenape in 2021-22. The Hawks finished 11-19 that season. They improved to 16-17 last year and 21-14 this season, including a 9-9 mark in the league.

It was the best season St. Joe’s had since 2015-16 and the most conference wins since 2017-18.

That caught Simpson’s eye.

“Now with [name, image, and likeness] stuff, I think they have good qualities within that. I also think their play style and their players have gotten better,” Simpson said. “[Lange] has been able to develop a lot more kids since he was recruiting me in high school. ... They’re playing in a big classic next year at the Barclays Center. It shows that he recruited the right players for his system, and I’m trusting him that he recruited me to play in the right system, too.”

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The Hawks lost Cameron Brown (11.0 ppg) to graduation while junior guard Lynn Greer III (10.9 ppg), redshirt freshman forward Christ Essandoko (8.2 ppg, 5.7 rebounds), and junior wing Kacper Klaczek (4.2 ppg) entered the transfer portal.

Still, Simpson joins a group that should have plenty of talent back.

At the moment, junior guard Erik Reynolds III (17.3 ppg) and freshman guard Xzayvier Brown (12.7 ppg), the team’s top two scorers, are set to return from last season’s A-10 semifinal squad. Sophomore forward Rasheer Fleming (10.7 ppg, 7.4 rebounds), freshman forward Anthony Finkley, and redshirt freshman wing Shawn Simmons are key players who are likely to return.

Simpson knows Brown and Finkley through the K-Low Elite program. He’s also gone against Fleming and freshman forward Dasear Haskins, both of whom played at Camden High. He saw the Hawks play in person when he attended their game at Seton Hall in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on March 20.

“We can play off each other very well,” Simpson said of Reynolds and Brown. “I think our IQ and our ability can really create something together, I’m just looking forward to playing with them guys. I know they’re high-IQ basketball players, and I’ve seen it firsthand in person watching them play. They’re big-time players, and I’m looking forward to getting around them.”

Simpson hasn’t been to Hagan Arena since his sophomore year at Lenape. Although it may have taken a few extra years, he’s excited to call Hawk Hill home for the rest of his college career.

“This past year was a very eye-opening experience for me when it came to basketball, my mind, off the court stuff,” Simpson said. “I learned a lot about myself, and I’m just trying to put it all together. ... I want to win games. The individual success comes after you get the team success first. I’m trying to make big things happen at St. Joe’s with the guys.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.