Five-star begins official visits with a trip to UT this weekend
The football schedule is on a break, but the basketball visit schedule remains active. This weekend, the Longhorns are hosting another five-star prospect. College Park (The Woodlands) 2018 combo guard Quentin Grimes begins his official visit process with a trip to Austin. Our preview:
The skinny – Recently, Grimes announced a final four of Texas, Kansas, Marquette, and Kentucky. He’ll take official visits to all four. Right now, the chatter behind the scenes favors Kansas the most. Programs recently completed in-home visits, and the Jayhawks are still thought to be the leader.
However, the Longhorns, based on what we’ve heard, are running as a strong second. Unlike the other programs, Texas has location and point guard Matt Coleman, who Grimes has repeatedly mentioned when discussing Texas, working in its favor. If Andrew Jones, as expected currently, decides to remain in the NBA Draft this time around, Grimes would be a great fit to slide into the vacated guard slot along Coleman, which would also allow him to feature his point guard skill to go with playmaking beside a true point.
Because it could feature him as the main guy while also surrounding him with solid, veteran pieces, Marquette presents an interesting option for Grimes, and is in the hunt. Whenever Kentucky receives an official visit from a five-star prospect, it needs to be considered too.
As the dominoes begin to fall around college hoops recruiting, where some guards end up could influence Grimes’s decision. That being said, he’s perhaps the best guard in the country, and would be a featured player wherever he goes. Grimes has yet to offer any hints publicly about which schools he favors, and a very strong official visit would certainly play into his thought-process.
Prospect Breakdown – There isn’t anything Grimes can’t do on the basketball floor. Although he profiles best in a combo guard-type role, Grimes, who is listed at 6-5, has some natural feel for running the point guard position and distributing. He can spot-up from beyond the perimeter, and also has a pull-up jumper that makes him lethal when operating around the perimeter; it wouldn’t be a surprise if he flirts with 40-percent from beyond the arc in college. Combine that pull-up jumper with handle and athleticism, and Grimes can score in the paint with a willingness to create for teammates too.
With a strong mental makeup to accompany his physical traits and skill-level, Grimes is the most complete guard in the 2018 class, and his best basketball is ahead of him.
OB in-person look – 2016 adidas Summer Championships (two games), 2017 adidas Gauntlet Series in Dallas (two games), 2017 adidas Summer Championships (two games)