K.J. Simpson becomes first Arizona Basketball commit for 2021

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 21: The Arizona Wildcats logo on a pair of shorts during a consolation game of the Maui Invitational college basketball game against the Auburn Tigers at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina Hawaii. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 21: The Arizona Wildcats logo on a pair of shorts during a consolation game of the Maui Invitational college basketball game against the Auburn Tigers at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 21, 2018 in Lahaina Hawaii. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***

Already making headway in the class of 2021, Sean Miller and the Arizona Basketball team picked up a commitment from So Cal guard, K.J. Simpson.

What do you do when your season is likely postponed? Well, if you’re Sean Miller and Arizona Basketball, you likely put more focus into recruiting. Luckily for us, it seems to have paid off as Southern California guard K.J. Simpson (Chaminade High School – West Hills, CA) becomes the first commitment for 2021.

Making his announcement on Instagram, K.J. decided to pick the Wildcats, despite getting offers from; Colorado, USC, ASU, Georgia Tech and Cal among others.

Arizona Wildcats
Arizona Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats

He is rated as a four-star guard in the class, and is considered a fringe Top-100 player. Coming in, K.J. is the No. 111 overall player in the class, the No. 7 overall combo guard, and the No. 6 overall player from California according to 247Sports. And to me, this is a commitment we should be particularly happy about.

Now I’m sure there are some fans out there groaning at the fact he’s not a Top 50 like we’re accustomed to, however, what’s also great as a program, is getting a decent number of longer-term players that aren’t one-and-dones.

So in the case of a player like K.J., he is a great building block for this program moving forward. Plus, there is a lot to like about him.

First off, he has solid size as he comes in a 6-feet-2-inches and 175 pounds. He also projects as a combo guard, excelling both in scoring and distributing the ball.

Overall, K.J. is a great athlete with solid size and length, and one thing in particular to like about him is that he plays hard on both ends of the floor.

Not only is he a talented scorer, but he’s a kid that buys in defensively and gives great effort. Sounds like a Miller recruit if you ask me.

Just watch for yourself! There’s a lot to like in this kid!

At Zona Zealots, we’re excited about the commitment and can’t wait to see him on campus, and see how this class shapes up! As always, Bear Down, Arizona!

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