Long after his teammates had left the floor and most of the 8,000 fans who made Jersey Mike’s Arena a two-hour living hell for Indiana had exited the building on Saturday, Rutgers guard Derek Simpson stood alongside the Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz to talk about his big night.
Once he wrapped up his postgame interview, the Scarlet Knights’ star saw some stragglers in the student section. He made his way over to say thank you one last time, a gesture he felt he “had to” make, and in return, he was gifted another round of high-fives and pats on the back.
“I felt like it was necessary because the fans showed up,” Simpson said. “That was the craziest environment I’ve ever been in, the most students I’ve ever seen. I just had to go over there and give them all handshakes because I’m just thankful for them.”
The feeling was mutual from the fans, who witnessed the game Simpson used to introduce himself to the Big Ten.
BUY RUTGERS BASKETBALL TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER, TICKETMASTER
The freshman guard had a breakout performance in Rutgers’ dominant 63-48 win over No. 10 Indiana, scoring 14 crucial second-half points that stabilized the wobbling Scarlet Knights (6-2) and buried the favored Hoosiers (8-1). Rutgers beat Indiana for the sixth time in a row and eighth time in nine meetings. The win was coach Steve Pikiell’s 14th over a ranked team since taking over a struggling Rutgers’ program ahead of the 2016-17 season; the Scarlet Knights are 10-3 in their last 13 home games against ranked opponents.
Simpson scored 10 of them consecutively — immediately after Indiana went on a 9-0 run after halftime — almost single-handedly counterpunching the ranked opponent during the first Big Ten game of his career.
“He’s growing up,” Pikiell said. “He’s a good player. He practices the right way. He’s figuring stuff out. He’s watching film. ... He had some huge plays for us tonight. His speed and quickness [were] relevant. Even in the first half, I thought he got good looks. He makes those. Second half, it all came together. He did an awesome job against a very good team.”
Simpson bounced back from a poor offensive start — he missed all six shots he took in the first half. It was the continuation of a tough stretch for the freshman, who was thrust into a new role recently with starting point guard Paul Mulcahy missing the previous four games with a shoulder injury.
Simpson made his first career start against Temple at Mohegan Sun, and struggled mightily. He missed the first 10 shots he took and committed two turnovers in Rutgers’ first loss of the season. Pikiell backed his young guard after the game, saying he’d learn from the experience, and Simpson received similar support from his teammates.
He said Mulcahy has been “a great leader” with him, giving him insight and instructions during practice despite not participating himself. The veteran had a message for him on Saturday, repeating it over and over throughout the evening:
“You’re a killer. You’re a killer. You’re a killer.”
Simpson proved him right with the 10-0 run against one of the best defenses in the country, showing no fear and no hesitation following his early struggles. It started with Mulcahy finding him on a cut to the basket for an easy layup, continued with a step-back jumper reminiscent of the last Rutgers guard to wear the No. 0, and came to a crescendo with an eye-popping three-pointer in transition.
Simpson locked eyes with Mulcahy on a fast break after teammate Mawot Mag swatted an Indiana layup on the defensive end. The senior’s pass hit the freshman in stride, and he knocked down the three-pointer that sent the crowd into a fever pitch.
Mulcahy played almost 24 minutes, scoring six points and handing out four assists.
“I’m so proud of Derek,” Mulcahy said. “He’s a young guy but he’s a sponge. ... He doesn’t lack confidence. He goes. And we need him. He’s got special skills that help our team. To see him hoop like that in his first Big Ten game, it makes me feel [bleeping] awesome. I’m super proud of Derek. Really, really proud.”
Want to bet on College Basketball?
See the best NJ Sports Betting sites
Mulcahy was joined by most of the 8,000 fans who created the great home-court advantage that’s bolstered Rutgers for the past few seasons. Simpson witnessed his share of volcanic environments from the stands as a recruit, and after playing in it for the first time Saturday, he said it “lived up to crazy expectations.”
“I hope it keeps that same energy the rest of the year,” he said, and they’ll hope he keeps giving them a reason.
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust.
Brian Fonseca may be reached at bfonseca@njadvancemedia.com.
Ad Choices