The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1178918
40 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2019 2019-20 BASKETBALL PREVIEW "I'm learning from Zavier," Mar- telli insisted. "He's so vocal. He's a willing listener. In a societal way, we've lost a whole group of kids. We've talked to them about commu- nicating. They think they can text, and that will be communicating. "They think they can talk over you, and that's communicating. But one of the skills that's needed in being a great communicator is that you listen. X listens. He applies not just what he's heard you say, but he lis- tens to what you've said, and he ap- plies it. "He has complete respect from his teammates, but he gives respect. That, to me, is really special." Martelli cites an instance in which Simpson not only listened, but made immediate application and involved one of the Wolverines' newcomers. The savvy easterner watched Simpson's tough love carefully, and at one point advocated for a little more of the empathy into which the senior can tap. "I had one small conversation with him," Martelli shared. "I said, 'Every once in a while, it's okay to sprinkle in some honey.' "That day, he did that same thing. One of the things we do to start prac- tice is run what Juwan labels as a 'discipline run.' The very first day, we gather, and we're going to go on this discipline run. Juwan said, 'X, take it.' "X grabbed Franz [Wagner, Mich- igan's freshman import from Ger- many], because it was Franz's first day working out." Whether it's involving the fresh- men, bringing the vinegar or sprin- kling the sugar, Simpson takes the lead. Martelli hasn't been around Ann Arbor long, but long enough to know that's important. "A point guard has to do more than play inside the lines," he said. "A point guard has to run your locker room. He's got to run your bus. He can do that." Simpson acknowledges he's made a point of becoming a good listener, one who can give a teammate a pat on the back as easily as he can a kick in the butt. "It's important just to have a good understanding," he said. "I don't want to be the guy that's always sending messages. "I want to be able to talk to my teammates and get feedback. Not just see me as a leader, but see me as a brother to them, someone they can talk to, let their questions out." Simpson noted he watched the Fab Five special on ESPN multiple times. It gave him a better feeling for his new head coach and where How- ard's own passion is rooted. Since that first, all-in conversation, there have been many more inter- actions between the two. Simpson foresees not only a good working situation now, but one that reaches well beyond his senior season. "We have a great relationship, not just on the court, but off the court as well," he said. "We're hard-working guys that hold each other account- able. We also hold players account- able. I definitely feel we can build a relationship that can last forever." MORE SOURCES OF LEADERSHIP Simpson isn't the only source of leadership on Howard's first Michi- gan squad, but he's certainly the most visible. He's also influenced the others, including junior forward Isaiah Livers, who appreciate how Simpson holds everyone account- able, including him. The junior insists he needed that when he was coming along in the Michigan program. "No matter what the situation is, there are no excuses," Livers noted. "That's really helped my game grow. When I was a young little freshman, I had all the excuses in the world. At the end of the day, excuses aren't going to help. It's about what you're going to get done on the floor. "He broke that down to me. I changed as a player." Now, Livers himself looks to emu- late the no-excuses, get-it-done, get- Last season, Simpson averaged 8.8 points per game, dished out the fifth-most assists in the nation with 244 and led the Wolverines in steals (53). PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN