Simon McCormick, of Whitefield, looks for an open shot in the Bobcats’ 87-70 loss to Trinity. (Mic LeBel photo)
Senior captain Simon McCormick scored 13 points to lead all Bates College scorers during a 79-54 loss to Wesleyan University on Feb. 10 in Lewiston. The Senior Day match was the final game of the Whitefield resident’s college basketball career.
McCormick, who starred at Cony High School before graduating in 2020, had a solid season for the Bobcats despite the team’s struggles. The Bobcats play in the NCAA Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference, which is very competitive. Bates ended the year 3-21, but McCormick provided highlights and excitement for Bobcats fans down the stretch.
On Feb. 6, McCormick was named Maine Men’s Basketball Coaches and Writers Association co-Player of the Week. He scored a career-high 34 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had five assists at Bowdoin on Feb. 2 and then had 26 points, six assists, and five rebounds at Colby on Feb. 3.
Against Trinity College on Feb. 9, the second to last game of the year, McCormick did a little bit of everything for the Bobcats in an 87-70 loss that was much more competitive than the lopsided final score. The Bobcats led 66-63 before Trinity outscored the Bobcats 24-4 in the final five minutes. McCormick scored three points, had nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the game and did his best to rally the Bobcats to a comeback win before they were outlasted by a bigger, more talented team that is 23-1 on the season and ranked ninth in NCAA Division III.
Statistics don’t tell the whole story. McCormick is a basketball performer who clearly loves competing in the sport. Listed on the roster at 5’9”, McCormick is almost always the shortest player on the court – but what he lacks in size he makes up for in quickness and dynamic energy.
“At my size, I have to find ways to impact the game and I do that by acting as the engine for the team,” he said.
Against Trinity, McCormick hustled up and down the court, shouted instructions to teammates, played in-your-face defense, dove for loose balls, was always a threat to launch a 3-pointer and pumped up the crowd and the Bobcats bench at every opportunity.
“A combo guard is the best way to describe my position for Bates,” said McCormick. “In college, I’ve played both point guard and off-ball shooting guard. Most of my focus is on the defensive side of the ball, a lot more than it was at Cony.”
McCormick noted that there is a big difference between playing basketball in high school at Cony compared to college.
“Everyone is stronger, taller, faster, and more skilled here in the NESCAC than at the high school level,” he said. “Our conference has nationally ranked teams, so you can’t take any games off in the NESCAC.”
The schools in the conference are also known for having top-tier academics.
“Bates is one of the best schools in the country, and it has been an honor to be able to study here,” said McCormick. “Being a college athlete at a challenging school like Bates requires a lot of planning to make sure assignments are done on time, and good communication with professors about when you’ll miss class for road trips.”
It takes a lot of support to develop into a college athlete, as McCormick was quick to point out.
“I would not be where I am without my mom Karen McCormick. Raising two kids as a single mom is not easy, but she brought me to all my AAU practices that were over an hour away and games on the weekends in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and even Florida,” said McCormick. “She’s been my biggest fan.”
McCormick also cited T.J. Maines, his high school coach, and Jon Furbush, the Bobcats coach as having a huge impact on his life.
“They go beyond what being a coach truly means,” said McCormick. “Both of them have taught me so many life lessons through basketball.”
McCormick offered advice for kids growing up in Lincoln County that love basketball and share the same dream he had, to play in college.
“It takes many, many hours of practice outside of your normal practices and games to get to the next level,” said McCormick. “College coaches aren’t looking for how many crossovers you can do or if you throw a no-look pass. They want to see if you can make the right play every time, so keep it simple. Being a good person and putting academics first goes above everything basketball related. Basketball doesn’t last forever.”
Now that McCormick’s basketball career is over at Bates, the psychology major with a concentration in religious studies is hustling to get his thesis and other school work done to graduate on May 26 and begin the next chapter of his life.
“I don’t have any set plans for post-Bates, but I know it’s going to be working in either sports or entertainment,” he said.
