Senior guard Simone James has been described by Georgia Southern women's basketball head coach Anita Howard as being Eagles' "silent assassin," going about her business on the court quietly but effectively. As perhaps the best defensive player on the court for the Eagles, this season Simone has worked hard to expand her game offensively and become an all-around threat as Georgia Southern chases a Sun Belt title in 2023-24.
The San Diego, Calif., native had a long road ahead of her to even get to Statesboro, both literally and figuratively. She joined Georgia Southern in the Fall of 2020 as a true freshman from Christian HS in El Cajon. She was an All-State honoree for the Patriots, scoring more than 1,500 points in her career, and also competed in volleyball and track and field while in high school.
"Thankfully, my high school coach had a lot of contacts in her network," Simone says about how she ended up at Georgia Southern. "Originally, I'm from Virginia, so I was familiar with the east coast. But I hadn't been over since elementary school, and I really wanted to come back. Coach Vicki [Carrington, Christian HS head girls coach] talked to Coach Straker, and she got them to look at me, then when I came on my visit to Georgia Southern, I just felt it was right."
Simone was born into a military family, which meant a lot of moves throughout her childhood. Born in Richmond, Va., she lived in Maryland, Florida and Illinois before ending up in San Diego for her high school education.
"It took a lot of adjustment," Simone says about her frequent childhood moves. "When you get somewhere, you have to adjust, and then boom - out of nowhere, you've got to move after only two or three years. Obviously it was rough, but I think it helped me to be able to interact with different people, or be able to make good connections with people quickly."
As a freshman for the Eagles, Simone ended up starting 17 of 21 games in 2020-21, averaging 6.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while also collecting 22 steals. As a sophomore, those numbers increased as she started 22 of 28 games, while also getting the chance to go back to San Diego and play a couple of games in front of her high school friends and family.
The Eagles took a trip to California and played games against San Diego State and San Diego Christian. Simone shined in the Eagles' 100-61 win over San Diego Christian, hitting 7-of-11 shots from the floor en route to a career high-tying 18 points.
"It was fun going back to San Diego, because I hadn't been back there since I left for my freshman year in Statesboro," Simone says. "It was fun seeing old high school teammates, coaches and stuff like that, and it was cool that everyone had the chance to come see me play."
Simone's defensive prowess kept her in the lineup for the Eagles throughout her career as she has started 74 of 90 games played so far. But in this her senior season, she's been averaging a career-best 11.4 points per game, reaching double figures in six games so far.
"I've been a defensive player ever since I got here," Simone says. "But Coach Howard, she told me that I wasn't just a defensive player. She told me that I could do other stuff - her, Coach Straker, everybody told me that. But I really didn't buy into myself until this year, sadly. I told myself that I should be more than just a defensive player, so I've been working on offense and working on doing other stuff besides just guarding the best player on the other team."
Just because this is her senior season, Simone's basketball journey is not done. With an extra year of eligibility due to COVID, she will return for 2024-25.
"I want to come back," Simone says. "I am not ready for adult life. I just can't right now!"
On track to graduate in the Summer of 2024 with her bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies, Simone is looking to take the jump into gradate school, possibly in psychology.
"Ever since I took one psychology class, I've had an interest in that field," Simone says. "And Dr. Byrd kind of influenced me on that too." Dr. Megan Byrd serves as the team sports psychology consultant for Georgia Southern women's basketball while also teaching classes in the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology in Statesboro.
Before Simone and the Eagles get to that point, however, there's the matter of this season. Off to a great 8-2 start, Simone is averaging a career-best 11.4 points per game and she fully expects the Eagles to be right in the thick of the Sun Belt race in a couple of months.
"We can go as far as we put our minds to it," Simone says. "Last year, the 20 win season was something we accomplished, but not something we should just be satisfied with. We never want to get complacent."
