All of you are missing the point entirely on Simpson - those who wanted RU to keep him, and those of you who wanted to be rid of him, those of who who are complimenting him and those of you who are criticizing his performance. Al lof you.
HERE are the points you ALL should consider:
1) Pikiell made it crystal clear before the season ended last year that he WAS going to do things differently managing and constructing the roster than he had done the prior season ... and he made it pretty damn clear what he meant by that: He was NOT going to get burned, again, by players deciding to leave LATE, the way Spencer in May and Mulcahy in JUNE (for goodness sakes!) burned him and RU. Pikiell made it pretty clear long before the season ended he would do it differently, in other words force players to decide right away.
2) Almost certainly, there was a conversation with each player over their expected role - expected by Pikiell and the staff - on the team for the next season, based in large part on the expected role of the incoming freshmen, especially Harper, Bailey and Sommerville.
3) It was obvious, for example, that Griffiths was told he'd be a bench player, a role player (I heard RU wanted to keep him, but he and his "people" wanted more, plus NIL $$). Also, almost certainly, Woolfolk was told he would NOT be a starter (either Ogbole, Sommerville or a recruited transfer - or all 3 - would pass him). Omoruyi probably told the staff what the market for his services were, and RU obviously could not afford the $1 M+ it was going to cost - and maybe did not want to pay that even if they had the NIL, since the centerpiece of the team would be Harper and Bailey. The staff obviously very much wanted to keep Williams - as arguably the veteran returnee who was also RU's best player this past season, and possibly Davis (the Bailey factor for Davis). Mag - meh - hands washed almost certainly. Whioch brings us to Simpson ...
4) We do not know if RU wanted to keep Simpson or not - I have heard nothing on that subject. BUT ... it is obvious that any conversation about his role for RU this current season would have entailed informing him that Harper was the starting PG and Williams the starting 2G ... that Bailey likely was the WF ... that the priority was to add quality 3-point shooters, who would presumable also compete for reserve time at the WF and G positions ... so Simpson's role would necessarily be a 15 mpg back-up at PG - at best ... and that Davis would also be competing for the same role. VERY LIKELY, ALMOST CERTAINLY, Simpson made the choice (and probably a good one for him), to be a STARTER,(starting PG), dropping down 1 level to the A-10, rather than be a 10-15 mpg reserve for RU. Oh, by the way, Simpson and Woolfolk transferring was the most predictable end of the season event possible - we all knew they were gone.
5) The result: Pikiell knew who was staying and who was leaving before the portal even opened, I suspect. Now, many may be unhappy with the players Pikiell got in the transfer portal, but
I am glad for Simpson that he is doing relatively well at St. Joes: He had no role at RU that he was willing to play, and I will never fault a player for leaving to be a STARTER somewhere else. But he was NEVER playing 32 mpg for RU ... so the BEST case for him at RU this year: cut his stats in half, let's say, because his minutes are cut in half: 4.5 ppg, 1.8 ass/g, 1.7 rpg. In other words ... Davis, essentially, though just a bit better, I suppose (He is shooting a bit better than Davis, admittedly - and is also a year older).
By the way, I am also glad for Omoruyi - there was no way RU could pay him what Alabama and other were willing to pay - in other words WILDLY overpay for his value. So I am very glad he is getting a big payday, plus playing for a National Championship contender - good for him! Mag and Griffiths? Sometimes you sow what you reap, eh? Happy to see them ... um ... suck. Griffiths turned down from RU what would have been a larger role than he is getting at Nebraska - and his performance is earning him that extremely limited role. Mag? We know the story there.
FYI, Jalen Miller, as a 5th year Senior, is finally doing pretty well, eh? Good for him, also.
