FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, May 8, 2017 Colorado prep star Simental commits to MSUB men’s hoops
David Simental, the 2016 Colorado high school state player of the year, commits to MSUB for the 2017-18 men’s basketball season. BILLINGS, Mont. – The 2016 Colorado prep basketball player of the year is headed to Montana State University Billings next fall, as David Simental signed a letter of intent to join the Yellowjackets announced MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens on Monday. “David is one of the more decorated high school players that we have signed, and he comes from a wonderful family,” Stevens commented. “He can do it all on the court, and we expect him to be able to help us right away.” Simental, a 6-foot-2 guard, was a two-time first-team all-state selection at Pueblo West High School, where he averaged 26.7 points and 2.6 assists per game last year as a senior. In four seasons on the varsity team under head coach Robert Tyler, Simental helped his squad to a cumulative record of 77-25 and led the team to its first-ever state title in 2016.
“I chose to play at MSUB because I felt that playing for Coach Stevens and his coaching staff would push me to be the best player and student I could be,” said Simental, a native of Pueblo West, Colo. Simental earned South Central League first-team honors in each of his final three seasons, and was the league’s player of the year last winter. Among his top accomplishments are 20 consecutive free throws made in a single quarter on March 1, 2017, 56 total free throws made in-a-row, and a school record foul-shot percentage of 94.0 as a senior last season (157-for-167). In 2016 as a junior, Simental set the school record for points with 688, which contributed to his school-record final career tally of 1,958 points. His 43 points against Ramona HS on Dec. 4, 2015 stand as the most in a game in school history as well.
David Simental inks his letter of intent to MSUB next to his father David.
Simental competed in numerous all-star games and travel ball teams, including The SHOW and D1 Elite Camp which featured the top-20 players in the state of Colorado. He also played in the Rocky Mountain top-20 game, and most recently for the Colorado Hawks AAU team under head coach Robert Ferguson.
Simental is the fourth player to sign with the ‘Jackets for next season, joining incoming freshmen Zharon Richmond of Billings and Kobe Terashima of Boise, Idaho, and Dawson Community College junior transfer Daniel Shedden from Puntarenas, Costa Rica. “We couldn’t be more excited about the group of incoming players we have signed,” said Stevens. “Kobe, Zharon, and now David are probably the best group of high-school kids we have signed in our time here.” MSUB finished the 2016-17 season with a record of 14-15 overall, and placed sixth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings at 9-11 to advance to the conference tournament. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--