By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
RASTA Vechta has made a historic run in the German League last season advancing to the playoffs for the first time ever and reaching the semifinals where they were eliminated by the reigning champion Bayern Munich.
That success qualified them for this year’s Basketball Champions League and they’ve started their first European competition in club history with an 89-76 home win over Anwil Wloclawek.
Former UNC Greensboro Spartan in Trevis Simpson was the one leading them to it with 30 points – highest scoring player of Gameday 1 – on 53% shooting (10-19) while also adding five rebounds, one assist and one steal grabbing the Team of the Week honors along the way.
Striving for Continuous Improvement
After graduating from Coffee High School (Douglas, Georgia) in 2010 where he was rated a top 100 recruit, Simpson went on to UNC Greensboro. He took on a significant role already in his first year being the second-leading scorer on the team (27 games, nine starts) and was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman team.
He continued to improve and averaged 18.3 and 18.7 points in the following two seasons leading the Southern Conference in scoring both years. Simpson became the first player to do it in consecutive seasons after none other than the Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry.
Simpson scored 1,407 points in total for Spartans over three seasons – 7th on school’s all-time list – but decided to forgo his senior year and go straight to the pros.
“Coming from UNCG and the position we were in at the time, a mid-major program, we weren’t in the Tournament, and we were building. So, I don’t think I got the most of who I was and developing as a player being there. It’s no indication fo my coaching staff, they were great, but when you have a young staff that is building, you can’t learn everything right then. Coming over here (Europe) the first couple of years, there was a lot I didn’t know how to do or understand… And I’m still learning. As a player, you’re gonna learn every day but I could feel that I was behind other guys. So, I think me coming over early helped me grow as a player and a man, venturing all over the world alone”, Simpson said on BCL Coast to Coast Podcast.
“Growing as a player and a man, venturing all over the world, alone”
The then 22-year-old went undrafted in 2013 and his first destination was Greece. He signed his first professional contract with Kolossos for one year. Simpson averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 boards in 21 minutes that season but that was only the beginning.
He stayed in Greece for another year, this time with Rethymno as his scoring numbers rose to double-digits (10.2) and Simpson was finally ready to ‘explode’ in a new environment. It happened in Finland where he averaged 18.5 points for Kataja in the domestic league and FIBA Europe Cup.
His path continued in France and the Philippines with Hyères-Toulon and Blackwater Elite before joining Alba Fehérvár in Hungary with which he played FIBA Europe Cup for the second time. With Alba, he posted his career highs of 32 points and ten rebounds against KTE-Duna Aszfalt.
He moved to Italy for a one-year stint with G.S.A. Udine before finally arriving to Germany and joining RASTA Vechta which is his eighth team since turning pro.
Simpson and Vechta started the season slow with four losses but bounced back with two straight wins including the latest against Anwil in BCL.
It won’t be easy getting out of the tough Group B which features former champions AEK as well as contenders such as Hapoel Jerusalem and Bandirma along with another promising newcomer in San Pablo Burgos but they showed what they’re made of and will without a doubt have a chance to fight for their spot in the playoffs and in the club history.
Photo Credit: Basketball Champions League