By Ryne Rickman, UT Martin Sports Information Director
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – KJ Simon, a junior guard on the University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball squad, was crowned as Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week today.
Today’s announcement marks the fifth OVC Newcomer of the Week accolade for Simon, who also won on Nov. 22, Dec. 20, Jan. 3 and Jan. 31. The Orlando, Fla. native is now tied with Lester Hudson (2007-08) and Parker Stewart (2019-20) for the most OVC Newcomer of the Week awards in school history. As a team, the Skyhawks have piled up seven such awards this season – which trails only the 2014-15 UT Martin squad (eight) for the program record.
Simon averaged 20.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals over a pair of games last week, connecting on 51.9 percent (14-for-27) of his field goal attempts. That included an even 50 percent clip (4-of-8) from three-point range while also sinking 88.9 percent (8-for-9) of his free throw tries. He also did not commit a single turnover in 57 minutes of playing time.
During Thursday’s 84-63 victory over Southeast Missouri, Simon collected a game-high 19 points (on 7-of-9 shooting) in only 17 minutes – including 10 points in a 2:53 span down the stretch to help the Skyhawks end the game on a 17-1 run.
Two days later against Tennessee State, Simon accumulated a game-high 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, four blocks and three steals. He became just the second NCAA Division I player to notch a stat line of at least 20 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals and zero turnovers this season – joining Alabama State’s Gerald Liddell (who accomplished that feat against NC Central on Nov. 20, 2021).
Simon enters the week as the only Division I player in the country to average at least 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.7 steals per contest. The 6-3, 200-pound southpaw ranks in the top-four in the OVC in steals (1.8 per game, third), blocks (1.5, third) and scoring (16.7 points per game, fourth) while distributing 1.5 assists per game and ranking second on UT Martin with 120 total rebounds.
The Skyhawks kickstart a two-game OVC road trip this Thursday, Feb. 10 when they head to SIUE before traveling to Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 12.
Graphic Courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information