After announcing his intent to enter the transfer portal on April 2, Seton Hall men’s basketball’s Tajuan Simpkins is heading to Mississippi State, marking another offseason departure for the Pirates as the program continues to reshape its roster.
A 6-foot-4 junior guard from Brooklyn, Simpkins spent one season at The Hall after transferring in from Elon. He played in all 33 of the Pirates’ games, starting two of them, and averaged 9.7 points per game. As SHU’s sixth man, Simpkins provided consistent scoring and backcourt depth throughout the season.
Simpkins’ best game came on Jan. 29 against Xavier, when he dropped a season-high 27 points while knocking down five three-pointers. Simpkins also had a 22-point game at Providence on Dec. 20.
But the junior guard didn’t just score for The Hall: he also pulled down a season-high eight rebounds against Monmouth on Nov. 13 and had five assists at Butler on Feb. 15.
Before arriving in South Orange, Simpkins had a strong 2024-2025 season at Elon. He averaged 14.6 points per game and led the team in steals and free throws made, while also finishing second in assists. His ability to score at all three levels and create plays carried over into his role with the Pirates.
Simpkins will join a talented Mississippi State squad, teaming up with All-SEC guard Josh Hubbard, who earned All-SEC Second Team honors last season.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
