Senior Avarie Simpson has been making baskets since he was four and remained humble ever since.
“Avarie is just a quality person. [He’s a] classy human who does everything the right way,” former varsity boys basketball coach Mike Kapustka said. “He has such a great attitude and is just so team-oriented that he wants to do whatever he can to help his team, and fulfill every goal he is asked to.”
On the court, Kaputska describes Simpson as a “coach’s dream,” coachable and looked up to by younger players.
Scoring 29 assists in the 2018-2019 season, Simpson’s admirable qualities are reflected in his statistics. Not only does he have a huge influence on the drive of the game but the atmosphere surrounding it.
“Even when it gets hard and everybody wants to stop, he’s the one who always has constant energy and pushes people to be better and better each day,” sophomore teammate Kyler VanderJagt said.
Simpson tends to see the glass half full. He says having a positive outlook on things has the power to change your overall perspective.
“[H]e doesn’t let whatever people say about us define us as a team,” fellow senior and teammate of six years, Elijah Buckner said. “He believes that we can be as good as we want to be.”
Simpson’s biggest piece of advice is to remain grounded.
“Don’t get too complacent. If you feel like you’re more skilled than another person, just stay humble,” Simpson said.
Simpson is grateful for the opportunity to play for his team. He says he is going to focus on being in the moment and remaining thankful for contributing to his last season as a Wildcat.
As announced this October, Simpson plans to pursue his basketball career at Great Lakes Christian College.
“Stay humble, work hard, and you’ll get all that you ask for if you put enough work into it,” Simpson said.
Great kid, great family, he was the same way in middle too. 👍🏀