Florida State University Athletics
Saturday, December 14
Sunrise, Fla.
4:30 p.m.
Florida State
vs
Tulane University
A Homecoming For Jason Simpson At The Orange Bowl Classic Against Tulane
12/13/2024 7:46:00 AM | Men's Basketball
SUNRISE, Fla. – At the conclusion of nearly every film season held by the Florida State men's basketball team, one voice rises among the Seminoles.
Family!
That voice comes from guard Seminole Jason Simpson, who enjoys a homecoming on Saturday when Florida State travels to play Tulane in the AutoNation Orange Bowl Classic at the Amerant Bank Arena. The Seminoles' game against the Green Wave is set for a 4:30 tip-off on the ACC Network. Florida State leads the all-time series against Tulane by a 26-21 margin with the most recent meeting coming as a 59-54 Seminole win at the Donald L. Tucker Center on November 17, 2021.
Florida State and Tulane played as members of the Metro Conference from the 1976-77 season through the 1984-85 season and then again during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons. The Seminoles earned a 15-9 record against Tulane as members of the Metro Conference.
"Coming into this year Coach Ham and Coach Jones talked to me about becoming more vocal," said the senior from West Palm Beach. "I took that advice and made it an emphasis that every day I'd speak up about anything I felt needed to be spoken about. As I talked more, the guys started to trust me. I want to do everything in my capabilities to help us win and stay connected. I'm lucky to have a team and coaching staff that believes in me as a leader."
Now in his second season as a Seminole, Simpson played at St. John's in the Big East during the first two seasons of his career. He will graduate in May of 2025 with a degree in finance from Florida State University.
Simpson has been playing the sport he loves nearly all of his life, beginning at age four when he first picked up a basketball. His dad was coaching his brother, Daniel, and he would pick up a ball and dribble it around the court hoping he would one day be good enough to play with the older boys.
"I used to run around the gym with a ball watching the older players and hoping I could be as good as them one day," said Simpson.
It also helped that Simpson comes from a basketball family of elite point guards. His dad, John Simpson, played collegiately at Western Connecticut and Virginia State, while his brother, Daniel, was a standout high school point guard. His mom, Rita, said Simpson, has a pretty good eye when it comes to seeing talented basketball players – especially point guards.
Another brother, Scottie Barnes, was the ACC Freshman of the Year at Florida State in 2021 and the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2022. He was named as a NBA All-Star in 2024.
According to Simpson: "Scottie is pretty good at basketball, too."
"We're brothers, we always have each other's backs," said Simpson. "Growing up we were always working out together, hanging out, or just at the house in the same room. We talk a couple of times the week."
Simpson has played high level basketball throughout his career.
He played at Montverde Academy for two seasons, graduating from the Orlando-based school in 2021. He averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting .400 percent from 3-point range in his two seasons with the eagles. He helped lead Montverde to a state championship in the postgraduate division of the Florida Sun Conference his junior season.
He began his college career at St. John's and was a member of the Red Storm team that defeated the Seminoles in the 2022 Orange Bowl Classic.
A coaching change St. John's at the start of the 2023-24 season made him think about a new start and a university closer to home.
"I've had to grow a lot not only as a basketball player but as a man to be in the position I'm in today," said Simpson. "Fighting through injuries and multiple surgeries makes it a blessing just to be on this team at Florida State and surrounded by great players."
Simpson is one of the first players at practice each and consistently displays the work ethic which has allowed him to become a player trusted teammate.
Gaining the trust of his teammates is the main thing Simpson has worked to earn since his arrival in the summer of 2023.
"The opportunity to be a member of this basketball team means the world to me," said Simpson. "The history of great players to come into this program, learning from hall of fame of coaches, and being a part of a culture that promotes winning in every aspect of life. There is nowhere else I'd rather be.
"The sense of family we have at Florida State -- everyone here cares about each other and all we want is to win," said Simpson. "The raw emotion that this team shows about trying to win and get to that next level is a special feeling to be around and just inspires me to try to be the best version of myself."
That's why you'll hear Simpson's voice above others.
Family!
Family!
That voice comes from guard Seminole Jason Simpson, who enjoys a homecoming on Saturday when Florida State travels to play Tulane in the AutoNation Orange Bowl Classic at the Amerant Bank Arena. The Seminoles' game against the Green Wave is set for a 4:30 tip-off on the ACC Network. Florida State leads the all-time series against Tulane by a 26-21 margin with the most recent meeting coming as a 59-54 Seminole win at the Donald L. Tucker Center on November 17, 2021.
Florida State and Tulane played as members of the Metro Conference from the 1976-77 season through the 1984-85 season and then again during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons. The Seminoles earned a 15-9 record against Tulane as members of the Metro Conference.
"Coming into this year Coach Ham and Coach Jones talked to me about becoming more vocal," said the senior from West Palm Beach. "I took that advice and made it an emphasis that every day I'd speak up about anything I felt needed to be spoken about. As I talked more, the guys started to trust me. I want to do everything in my capabilities to help us win and stay connected. I'm lucky to have a team and coaching staff that believes in me as a leader."
Now in his second season as a Seminole, Simpson played at St. John's in the Big East during the first two seasons of his career. He will graduate in May of 2025 with a degree in finance from Florida State University.
Simpson has been playing the sport he loves nearly all of his life, beginning at age four when he first picked up a basketball. His dad was coaching his brother, Daniel, and he would pick up a ball and dribble it around the court hoping he would one day be good enough to play with the older boys.
"I used to run around the gym with a ball watching the older players and hoping I could be as good as them one day," said Simpson.
It also helped that Simpson comes from a basketball family of elite point guards. His dad, John Simpson, played collegiately at Western Connecticut and Virginia State, while his brother, Daniel, was a standout high school point guard. His mom, Rita, said Simpson, has a pretty good eye when it comes to seeing talented basketball players – especially point guards.
Another brother, Scottie Barnes, was the ACC Freshman of the Year at Florida State in 2021 and the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2022. He was named as a NBA All-Star in 2024.
According to Simpson: "Scottie is pretty good at basketball, too."
"We're brothers, we always have each other's backs," said Simpson. "Growing up we were always working out together, hanging out, or just at the house in the same room. We talk a couple of times the week."
Simpson has played high level basketball throughout his career.
He played at Montverde Academy for two seasons, graduating from the Orlando-based school in 2021. He averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting .400 percent from 3-point range in his two seasons with the eagles. He helped lead Montverde to a state championship in the postgraduate division of the Florida Sun Conference his junior season.
He began his college career at St. John's and was a member of the Red Storm team that defeated the Seminoles in the 2022 Orange Bowl Classic.
A coaching change St. John's at the start of the 2023-24 season made him think about a new start and a university closer to home.
"I've had to grow a lot not only as a basketball player but as a man to be in the position I'm in today," said Simpson. "Fighting through injuries and multiple surgeries makes it a blessing just to be on this team at Florida State and surrounded by great players."
Simpson is one of the first players at practice each and consistently displays the work ethic which has allowed him to become a player trusted teammate.
Gaining the trust of his teammates is the main thing Simpson has worked to earn since his arrival in the summer of 2023.
"The opportunity to be a member of this basketball team means the world to me," said Simpson. "The history of great players to come into this program, learning from hall of fame of coaches, and being a part of a culture that promotes winning in every aspect of life. There is nowhere else I'd rather be.
"The sense of family we have at Florida State -- everyone here cares about each other and all we want is to win," said Simpson. "The raw emotion that this team shows about trying to win and get to that next level is a special feeling to be around and just inspires me to try to be the best version of myself."
That's why you'll hear Simpson's voice above others.
Family!
Players Mentioned
Guard
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