Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Player Profile: Talking with floor general Donovan Sims
10/25/2021 11:38:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn.- Basketball season is inching closer by the day as Middle Tennessee prepares for opening night. Whether it's a returning player or a newcomer, every player on head coach Nick McDevitt's roster brings his own skillset that allows him to contribute toward a common cause. GoBlueRaiders.com caught up with the longest-tenured Blue Raider in Donovan Sims.
As one of the veterans of the team this year, Sims is a hometown product entering his fifth season with the Blue Raiders. He enters the season 10th in program history with 113 career steals and needs 254 points to become the 34th member of Middle Tennessee's 1,000-point club. An average of 8.2 points per game would see him reach that mark by the end of the regular season. In addition, Sims needs 26 assists, 13 made three-pointers, 16 games played and 373 minutes played to move into the top 10 in those respective categories.
A 6-foot-1 guard, Sims chose to rock the number three for the Blue Raiders because that's been his number since his days playing at Blackman High School. Heading into his final season at MT, the guard talked about how his game has changed since his freshman year.
"I've become more aggressive on the offensive, and defensive end," Sims said. "I still need to work some more on the defensive end and being more vocal this year. Coming in as a freshman, I was strictly a passer, and once the coaching staff changed with Coach McDevitt, he turned me more into a scoring guard."
Last season was filled with trials and tribulations for the team, especially with COVID-19 protocols in place. Sims spoke on the difference between this year's Blue Raiders and last year's team.
"Energy and vibes are more positive this year," he said. "Last year, COVID made it kind of hard to be energetic every single day because you never knew what you were going to have to go through. I've enjoyed being here since we all got together in the summer, and now that the season's getting closer, I'm getting more ramped up and excited."
Last season, Sims experienced some of the highs and lows that comes with being a student-athlete. Although he started nine of 15 games played, he also missed eight due to a torn meniscus. After he recovered from the knee injury, the guard played a limited number of minutes to end the season.
Talking expectations with the graduate student, Sims shed some light on what he expects from the team this year.
"I want to be more of a vocal leader this year for sure," he said. "I've kind of been one of the leaders in the past couple years, but I want to amp it up and have a great season, focus on winning, and helping my teammates get better every day.".
McDevitt is excited for Sims' growth as a player with his approach to the game. He talked about the ways Sims impacts the game.
"He's a really smart player," McDevitt said. "You can see his skill level with shooting and passing as you watch his game. He's in his fifth year with this program, and that experience matters. He's logged in a ton of college minutes, and the game for him has really slowed down. He sees things happening a lot easier now having played so much college ball."
Sims studies the game of basketball whenever he can, utilizing the NBA, where the best athletes in the world can provide lessons.
"I like to watch more passing and transition highlights from players like Ben Simmons," Sims said. "Shooting-wise, I like to watch Stephen Curry and Trae Young to see how they maneuver without the ball to get around screens for open shots."
Sims' major is now University Studies after graduating last May with a bachelor's degree in Leisure, Sport, and Tourism Management. Due to COVID allowing all student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, Sim's has been taking real estate courses to pursue that career when he's done with basketball.
The Blue Raiders will be relying on the veteran guard in different ways throughout the season. McDevitt's lineups with Donovan Sims are expected to raise on-court production with additional playmaking, shooting, and leadership.
As one of the veterans of the team this year, Sims is a hometown product entering his fifth season with the Blue Raiders. He enters the season 10th in program history with 113 career steals and needs 254 points to become the 34th member of Middle Tennessee's 1,000-point club. An average of 8.2 points per game would see him reach that mark by the end of the regular season. In addition, Sims needs 26 assists, 13 made three-pointers, 16 games played and 373 minutes played to move into the top 10 in those respective categories.
A 6-foot-1 guard, Sims chose to rock the number three for the Blue Raiders because that's been his number since his days playing at Blackman High School. Heading into his final season at MT, the guard talked about how his game has changed since his freshman year.
"I've become more aggressive on the offensive, and defensive end," Sims said. "I still need to work some more on the defensive end and being more vocal this year. Coming in as a freshman, I was strictly a passer, and once the coaching staff changed with Coach McDevitt, he turned me more into a scoring guard."
Last season was filled with trials and tribulations for the team, especially with COVID-19 protocols in place. Sims spoke on the difference between this year's Blue Raiders and last year's team.
"Energy and vibes are more positive this year," he said. "Last year, COVID made it kind of hard to be energetic every single day because you never knew what you were going to have to go through. I've enjoyed being here since we all got together in the summer, and now that the season's getting closer, I'm getting more ramped up and excited."
Last season, Sims experienced some of the highs and lows that comes with being a student-athlete. Although he started nine of 15 games played, he also missed eight due to a torn meniscus. After he recovered from the knee injury, the guard played a limited number of minutes to end the season.
Talking expectations with the graduate student, Sims shed some light on what he expects from the team this year.
"I want to be more of a vocal leader this year for sure," he said. "I've kind of been one of the leaders in the past couple years, but I want to amp it up and have a great season, focus on winning, and helping my teammates get better every day.".
McDevitt is excited for Sims' growth as a player with his approach to the game. He talked about the ways Sims impacts the game.
"He's a really smart player," McDevitt said. "You can see his skill level with shooting and passing as you watch his game. He's in his fifth year with this program, and that experience matters. He's logged in a ton of college minutes, and the game for him has really slowed down. He sees things happening a lot easier now having played so much college ball."
Sims studies the game of basketball whenever he can, utilizing the NBA, where the best athletes in the world can provide lessons.
"I like to watch more passing and transition highlights from players like Ben Simmons," Sims said. "Shooting-wise, I like to watch Stephen Curry and Trae Young to see how they maneuver without the ball to get around screens for open shots."
Sims' major is now University Studies after graduating last May with a bachelor's degree in Leisure, Sport, and Tourism Management. Due to COVID allowing all student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, Sim's has been taking real estate courses to pursue that career when he's done with basketball.
The Blue Raiders will be relying on the veteran guard in different ways throughout the season. McDevitt's lineups with Donovan Sims are expected to raise on-court production with additional playmaking, shooting, and leadership.
Players Mentioned
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