Maddie Simon

• Maddie Simon Photo Gallery
• Q&A with Maddie Simon

Honors & Awards

• Big Ten Sportsmanship Award (2019)
• Nebraska Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award (2018)
• Husker Award (2016)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2017, 2018, 2019)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2016, 2017, 2018; Spring 2016, 2018)
• Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award (2017, 2018)
• Nebraska Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award (2017)
• Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year (2015)
• Two-Time First-Team Super-State (Lincoln Journal Star, 2014, 2015)
• Two-Time First-Team All-Nebraska (2014, 2015)
• Two-Time First-Team Nebraska Class B (2014, 2015)
• Second-Team Nebraska Class A (2013)
• Nebraska State Champion (100, 300 Hurdles, 2015)
• No. 149 Player in the Nation (Blue Star, 2015)
• No. 22 Guard in the Nation (ESPN, 2015)

Senior (2018-19)
The only active senior on Nebraska’s roster throughout 2018-19, Maddie Simon played in all 30 games with 16 starts for the Huskers. 

Junior (2017-18)
After a move to power forward, Simon averaged 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 2017-18. Simon was one of the Big Ten's most improved players, increasing her scoring (+6.0 ppg) and rebounding (+3.0 rpg) by impressive margins over 2016-17. Her increased production on the boards earned her Nebraska's Kathy Branchaud Most Improved Rebounder Award in 2017-18.

Simon was an integral part of Nebraska's team turnaround, helping the Huskers to a 14-game improvement in the win column including eight more Big Ten wins than 2016-17.

She played 28 games with 27 starts. The Huskers were 20-8 with Simon on the court, 1-3 without her. She produced 14 double-figure efforts on the year, including 19 points in a win over No. 20 Iowa (Jan. 16) and 19 more in another win at Iowa (Jan. 28). Simon scored a career-high 20 points at San Jose State (Dec. 17).

The Huskers were 12-2 in 2017-18 when Simon scored in double figures. Simon had a huge 18-point, eight-rebound effort that included a career-high five assists and a career-high-tying three steals in a Big Ten road win at Minnesota (Dec. 31). She scored 16 points in the second half, including a go-ahead hook shot and two free throws in the final 30 seconds to power Nebraska's comeback win. She came up big with 16 points and six rebounds in a win over Penn State (Feb. 22) to conclude Nebraska's regular-season home schedule.

Simon produced 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in a win over Purdue (Jan. 24), 11 points in a win at Illinois (Jan. 10) and 10 points in a win at Northwestern (Jan. 7). She opened Big Ten play with 14 points and six rebounds against No. 12 Ohio State (Dec. 28).

Simon averaged 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in Nebraska's games at the Big Ten Tournament against Michigan (March 2) and No. 17 Maryland (March 3). She was held without a point or a rebound in just 15 minutes against Arizona State (March 17) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Austin, Texas. She did manage two assists and a block while being strapped with foul trouble.

She started NU's first three games on the season, averaging 6.7 points and 9.3 rebounds to help the Huskers to a 3-0 record. She had 11 points in a win over UMKC (Nov. 14) and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds to help the Huskers to a win over Arkansas (Nov. 16).

Simon suffered a severe ankle sprain late in pregame warm-ups prior to Nebraska's loss to Creighton (Nov. 19). Simon was unable to play at all against the Jays and missed four straight games with the injury, including losses to Buffalo (Nov. 23) and Clemson (Nov. 30).

She returned against Arkansas Pine Bluff (Dec. 2) starting a stretch a five straight non-conference wins, including road wins at Kansas (Dec. 6) and Drake (Dec. 9). She produced 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in a career-high 34 minutes at Drake. After her 20-point performance at San Jose State, she closed the stretch with 13 points in a win over Florida Atlantic (Dec. 19).

Sophomore (2016-17)
Simon provided significant contributions for the Huskers despite making a midseason position change from guard to forward. She played in all 29 games, averaging 4.1 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game. Early in the Big Ten season, Simon focused her attention on the forward spot, which paid dividends for the Huskers down the stretch.

Over the final three games, Simon averaged 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 18.7 minutes per game. During her final six games of 2016-17, Simon produced an assist-to-turnover ratio of 9-to-1, after committing 41 turnovers and managing just 15 assists in the first 23 games.

Simon scored a season-high 11 points to go along with with two rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in just 17 minutes at No. 25 Michigan (Feb. 23). She also had 11 points, four rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes against California (Dec. 4). She added a third game in double figures with 10 points, two rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal in 17 minutes at Michigan State (Jan. 7).

In NU's win over Michigan State in the regular-season home finale on Feb. 26, Simon had seven points, five rebounds and a season-high four assists in a season-high 28 minutes. Simon had nine points and tied a career high with three threes at No. 15 Ohio State (Jan. 29). She had six points and seven boards in a win over UTRGV (Nov. 12). She scored eight points and snagged a career-high three steals against Virginia (Nov. 26). She had six points, three rebounds, two assists and a block against Drake (Dec. 6). She added six points and four rebounds against No. 3 Maryland (Jan. 4).

Freshman (2015-16) 
Simon averaged 5.0 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game as a true freshman. She opened the season with a start in her first career game, scoring six points and adding two rebounds in 18 minutes in a win over Arkansas Pine Bluff (Nov. 14).  Simon came off the bench the next five games, highlighted by 11 points, two rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes in a win over Southern on Nov. 23. She added 10 points and three more assists in 22 minutes in Nebraska's win over NC State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Dec. 3).

Following Nebraska's 21-point comeback to victory over in-state rival Creighton (Dec. 6), Simon suffered a broken arm in a non-basketball fall, which knocked her out of competition for the next month.

She returned to score nine points in 23 minutes in a loss at No. 8 Maryland (Jan. 7). Simon continued to battle a strain in her arm for the next month and her on-court contributions were limited. She overcame the injury late in the season. Her role increased with season-ending injuries to seniors Rachel Theriot and Kyndal Clark.

Simon made her second start against Purdue (Feb. 21), before making her third start against Indiana (Feb. 24). She produced a breakout performance with then-career highs of 16 points and seven rebounds in a season-high 32 minutes in a win over Northwestern (Feb. 28). Simon also hit a career-high three three-pointers in the win over the Wildcats.

She added nine points, four rebounds and two assists in a start in a narrow loss to Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament. She suffered an ankle sprain in practice between that game and Nebraska's WNIT opener with Northern Iowa, and she was unable to play in the postseason.

Before Nebraska
A two-time first-team All-Nebraska and Super-State selection, Simon capped her high school basketball career as the Gatorade Player of the Year. She averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists while leading Lincoln Pius X to the Class B state championship as a senior for Coach Bill Rice.

As a junior, Simon averaged 19.8 points and seven rebounds per game to help Pius X to a Class B runner-up finish. Her top game came with 35 points and 13 rebounds against Omaha Gross. Simon was a second-team Class A all-stater as a sophomore after averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 2012-13. She hit 48 percent of her shots from the field and 74 percent of her free throws.

Simon played her club basketball for the Nebraska Lasers and Coach Allen Simpson. She averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the club.

A tremendous all-around athlete, Simon was not only a four-year letterwinner on the track, but captured gold medals in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles at the 2015 Nebraska State Track and Field Championships. She was the Class A runner-up in both events as a junior in 2014. She also finished third in the 100, while adding a runner-up finish in the 300 in 2013. She was also a member of Pius X’s All-Class gold medal-winning 4x400 relay in 2013. 

A three-time letterwinner in golf, Simon also qualified for the state tournament in 2013. Simon was an honor roll student all four years at Lincoln Pius X.

Personal
The daughter of Doug and Nicole (Ali) Simon, Maddie was born Feb. 7, 1997, in Lincoln, Neb. Maddie has two older brothers, Bennett and Zach, who both graduated from the University of Nebraska. Maddie’s mother was a hurdler for Coach Gary Pepin's 1983 and 1984 national championship track and field teams at Nebraska. Nicole owns the distinction of being the first female track and field CoSIDA Academic All-American at Nebraska.

A three-time academic All-Big Ten selection, Maddie was a communication studies major who earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska in May of 2019. She claimed five spots on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. She was a four-time member of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team. She also earned a prestigious Nebraska Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award in 2017.

Maddie is the niece of University of Maryland men's basketball coach Mark Turgeon and Denver women's basketball coach Jim Turgeon.

Simon chose Nebraska over Iowa, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Creighton.

Maddie Simon's Career Bests
Points - 20 at San Jose State, Dec. 17, 2017
Rebounds - 12 vs. Arkansas, Nov. 16, 2017 
Assists - 5 at Minnesota, Dec. 31, 2017 
Steals - 3 at Minnesota, Dec. 31, 2017; vs. Virginia, Nov. 26, 2016
Blocks - 2 vs. Wisconsin, Feb. 11, 2018; vs. UConn, Dec. 21, 2016 
FGM - 9 at San Jose State, Dec. 17, 2017
FGA - 15 at Minnesota, Dec. 31, 2017; at Drake, Dec. 9, 2017
3FGM - 3 at Ohio State, Jan. 29, 2017; vs. Northwestern, Feb. 28, 2016 
3FGA - 6 at Ohio State, Jan. 29, 2017; vs. Northwestern, Feb. 28, 2016 
FTM - 9 at Iowa, Jan. 28, 2018 
FTA - 10 at Iowa, Jan. 28, 2018

Simon's Career Statistics