Anthony Simpson will graduate from Kent State in May with a B average.

Simpson was also named the Mid-American Conference Sixth Man of the Year last week.

“That’s a first time for everything for me,” Simpson said in a phone interview today.

So what was his proudest college moment? Being on course to graduate in less than two months? Doing so with a B average after calling himself a “knucklehead” in a Register Star story last year, who admitted he didn’t take school seriously when he was in high school at Auburn? Scoring a career-high 23 points and pulling down nine rebounds to lead Kent State (23-9, 13-3) over Akron (24-10, 12-4) on the final day of the regular season in a winner-take-all showdown for the MAC title?

“It’s not over yet,” Simpson said. “I’ve got one more game — at least — to count on. After that, I will know. But it’s not over yet.”

The game isn’t one Simpson had banked on. The Golden Flashes are a No. 4 seed in the NIT and host Tulsa tonight at 6 p.m.

Kent State fell to the NIT after eventual-champ Ohio upset the No. 1 seeds in the first round of the MAC Tournament.

“My goal was to go to the NCAA Tournament and at least win a couple of games before it ended like it did,” Simpson said. “Now, I’m just rolling with the punches. If we win the NIT, I’ll be happy, because we went out on a good note.”

The Golden Flashes are in good company in the NIT. Defending national champion North Carolina and Connecticut, which has won two NCAA titles in the last 11 years, are also both No. 4 seeds in the NIT.

The 6-foot-8, 215-pound Simpson did everything he could to keep Kent State out of the NIT. He followed his career-high game against Akron with 12 points and eight rebounds against No. 9 seed Ohio. But while Simpson shot 6-for-11 that game, his teammates shot 18-for-56.

In Kent State’s two biggest games of the season, Simpson shot 15-for-24 (63 percent) and averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.

“That’s when you are supposed to step up,” Simpson said. “You always want to win when championships are on the line. Why not step up?”

While Simpson’s former Auburn teammate Kwan Waller — whom he “talks” to often on Facebook — moved into the starting lineup the second half of the year for Kentucky Wesleyan, which was upset in the first-round of the NCAA Division II Tournament on Saturday, Simpson moved out. He started the second half of his junior season. Coach Geno Ford said at the time that Simpson, a Highland Community College transfer, improved more in one year than any player he’s ever had.

But Simpson volunteered to return to the bench this year.

“It wasn’t a sacrifice,” said Simpson, who averages 8.9 points and 5.8 rebounds and shoots 52 percent. “It was me knowing what the team needed at the time.

“We had to mix it up. We could have a lot of scorers on the floor at one time, or we could split it up and make it work for the team. I went to talk to the coaches. They said, ‘Who doesn’t want to start their senior year?’ I said I didn’t want to start. I’d rather come off the bench.

“I was instant energy.”

He still is. For at least one more game.

Assistant sports editor Matt Trowbridge can be reached at 815-987-1383 or mtrowbridge@rrstar.com.