Grimes commits to Kansas
College Park star selects Jayhawks over UT, Kentucky
THE WOODLANDS — Members of the Kansas University Alumni Association’s Houston chapter arrived early to College Park’s gymnasium Wednesday night.
One of the top combo guards in the country with a mother who is an alumna and who fits perfectly in coach Bill Self’s system was about to announce his commitment. The association’s members put two and two together.
Quentin Grimes — the current alpha male in area hoops — picked the Jayhawks over Texas, Kentucky, Marquette and many other blue-chip programs.
The 6-5, 200-pounder combines an array of skills, from the knock-down midrange jumper, seamless passes and 3-point shooting, to the strong finishes at the rim to create the kind of elite player Houston has been adept at producing in recent years.
Grimes found Self’s sales pitch to his liking.
“He just lets the guards play and really run the show, a ton of freedom,” Grimes said. “That’s what he explained to me a lot. Show me how he’d play me in isolations. Post-ups, on the ball, off the ball.
“It just felt like a great fit for me. Just take over the game when I get there.” A family affair
It’s a great fit for his family. Grimes’ mother, Tonja Stelly, is a Kansas graduate in a family of Kansas State alums who she says may want to consider a conversion now.
Stelly grew up in Russell, Kan., and still has family there. She didn’t nudge Grimes to Lawrence, though. The College Park star made the choice best for him.
“It can get crazy,” Stelly said. “There’s a lot of people coming at you from a lot of different directions. But Quentin’s kept his feet on the ground and nose to the grindstone, and he comes from a place of hard work. So, a lot of life lessons throughout this process to teach all these kids at a young age.
“Decisions like this, most people aren’t making maybe until their mids20s.”
Grimes, 17, started school a tad bit earlier than most, and while Stelly said the only concern was if he would be able to keep up with his peers in the classroom, Grimes quickly prove that wouldn’t be a problem there or on the court.
Grimes’ family will happily make the trek to Kansas, considering all the AAU and camp traveling they’ve done. They’ve done it for NHL games, too. Tyler Myers, a defenseman for the Winnipeg Jets, is Grimes’ half-brother. Keeps city on the map
Grimes said he and Victory Prep product Jarred Vanderbilt speak nearly every day. The two played on the AAU circuit together for Houston Hoops, and Vanderbilt did his part in trying to recruit Grimes to Kentucky.
Grimes knows Sacramento Kings rookie and former Cypress Lakes and Kentucky star De’Aaron Fox personally, too.
The Houston area’s reputation as a basketball hotbed rests with those talents, among many others, and now Grimes is part of the club.
“I think we have the best talent for sure,” Grimes said. “So, I feel like I’ll keep carrying the tradition. Last year with Jarred. Year before that, it’s Fox. This year, it’s me. Hopefully, whoever is carrying it next year can leave a legacy for sure.”
Now Grimes can focus on leaving a legacy at College Park — a team that had regional tournament berths in 2008 and 2012 but is dealing with a much brighter spotlight with Grimes in the fold.
The Cavaliers have a few national tournaments lined up on the schedule, including one in Illinois. They only hope to be playing in March with Grimes leading the way.
“We know he’s going to go on and play with some other great teammates over the years to come,” College Park coach Clifton McNeely said. “But this will be the last time he gets to do it in this setting, and I think he’s got 10 young men behind him. It’s going to be a fun and exciting year.”