Fri Feb 10 2012
By David Carducci | Staff writer
Anthony Simpson is following in the professional footsteps of his former head coach at Kent State.
The recently graduated KSU forward will play his first season of pro basketball for the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball Leauge — the same team Golden Flashes coach Geno Ford was with during his only season as a pro in 1997-98.
Fresh off of his college career at Ohio University, Ford averaged 18 points per game in Leicester, a city with a population of just over 330,000 and located in the center of England. Ford also shot 49 percent from 3-point range and 91 percent from the foul line to lead the BBL in both categories.
Simpson signed with the Riders on Monday.
“I told Anthony he has a lot of pressure to live up to what I did when I was there,” Ford joked. “It’s actually kind of funny that he will end up playing there, just like me. I loved my year in Leicester, and I know it will be a good situation for Anthony, too. It’s a great city to live in, and the team has a very loyal fan base.”
After trying out for teams in the Korean league during a trip to Las Vegas just last week, finding a first-year home in the United Kingdom could be the perfect fit for Simpson. In England, the 6-foot-8 Chicago native won’t have to deal with the culture shock most young pros experience in their first European seasons.
“This is Anthony’s rookie year, and like all players heading overseas, your first year is about proving yourself, getting your feet wet, showing you can live outside the country and showing you can be a productive player in the international game,” Ford said. “So for him, Leicester makes so much sense. It’s going to be a very simple transition.
“He’ll get cable television. There is a McDonald’s and a Kentucky Fried Chicken on every corner. It’s not a difficult adjustment to the food. There’s no adjustment to the language.”
“Any time you are going overseas for your rookie experience, the easier you can make it on yourself, the better,” Ford said.
Riders owner Kevin Routeledge also owned the team when Ford played in Leicster 14 years ago.
“He wanted to know about Anthony, and I think he was hoping I’d encourage Anthony to go there if there was a comparable offer from another team,” Ford said. “I think it made everything a little easier for Anthony knowing he will be with the same ownership that was there when I was in England, and I think Kevin felt a little more comfortable knowing Anthony had played for me.”
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