Coach Q on his 16u Troops
During Peach Jam, King James 16u Head Coach Quincy Simpson joined PrepHoopsOhio in an earnest discussion about his rugged, spirited team. Considering the numerous features on Justin Ahrens, this conversations focused on Darius Bazley, Darius Quisenberry, and young blood Jordan…
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Continue ReadingDuring Peach Jam, King James 16u Head Coach Quincy Simpson joined PrepHoopsOhio in an earnest discussion about his rugged, spirited team.
Considering the numerous features on Justin Ahrens, this conversations focused on Darius Bazley, Darius Quisenberry, and young blood Jordan Mitchell.
Blaze
“Well, you know he is our best player,” said Coach Simpson. “He has to learn to be more consistent with his toughness, with his execution at both ends of the floor.”
Bazley is not only the best Class of 2018 player in the state, he will be the best player out of Cincinnati since O.J. Mayo.
“He has gotten better, from being with us,” gushed Coach Simpson. “He has got extremely better because he is being held accountable. He knows he is going to be held accountable with everything he does. But it is only going to help him at the next level.”
Facing New York Rens, Bazley buried two game-cushioning free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining, up 69-68.
“That is our best player, but that is what best players do,” said Coach Simpson. “They step up and hit big shots. We are putting a lot of emphasis on him to carry this team. That doesn’t mean score the most points. That means ‘Carry this team.’ You know? Be vocal. Be accountable for yourself. Be assertive at both ends of the floor. Once he understands how to do that on a consistent basis he is going to be special.”
Quiz
“Darius Quisenberry is a guy I have coached several years ago,” said Coach Simpson. “He has been my guy for about four years. He trains with me.”
Quisenberry probably will take longer to break nationally, but his toughness and ability to close out games is hard to match in the Midwest. He makes the quiet, critical decisions in real-time that conjure up a winning mentality teamwide.
The Rook
For a team as deep and talented as King James 16u, it is hard to break into the squad.
Jordan Mitchell managed to not only make the team this summer. He plays a prominent part!
“He is a 2019 kid,” said Coach Simpson. “He is playing up with us. We just added him at the end of May. He is still trying to pick and choose his spots. We are trying to tell him, ‘You are one of our better players too.'”
Over the weekend Mitchell regularly scored sporadically, hinting at a greater comfort within the system.
“The expectation is for you to help Bazley, to help Justin (Ahrens), to help Quisenberry, to help Yahel Hill,” said Coach Coach Simpson. “The expectation to help these guys lead is very important. But, you know, he is very talented. Wing guy that can do a lot. I am hard on him too, but the good thing about it is that all of their parents support me. They don’t mind me being hard on their kids because they understand why. As long as they understand why everything else is easy.”
Mitchell is not clearly a better prospect than Bazley, but he is equally long, and his shooting touch is tantalizing.
“Really athletic,” said Coach Simpson. “Can be a lockdown defender if he uses his hands more. Can shoot outside shots. Can handle the ball for his size. Can finish around the rim. Overall, just as good as Bazley. Great size. Going to be special players.”
In February, Ohio State offered Mitchell.