Big 12 Basketball: Top 5 incoming freshmen for 2018-19
By Brian Rauf
1. Quentin Grimes, Kansas
Among that other high-level talent that will be on KU’s roster is fellow All-American Quentin Grimes, who was a top-10 overall recruit in the country and is projected to be a high lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
What makes the 6-5, 200-pounder so special? His game is much more well-rounded than many other incoming freshmen. He’s not as explosive as Dotson but is still a high-level athlete who can score with ease at all three levels (in the paint, mid-range, and beyond the arc) and is capable of consistently creating his own offense. Grimes will (likely) spend most of his time playing off-the-ball for Kansas, yet he has also demonstrated tremendous vision and that he’s a willing passer at the high school level. The McDonald’s All-American has a tremendous feel for the game and rarely forces the issue.
While Kansas has traditionally utilized more experience lineups under Self, Grimes is the kind of player who can – and will – be a focal point of the offense right away. He spent the summer playing for Self on Team USA’s U18 team, giving the two a head start on their on-court relationship.
Expect Grimes to only be around Lawrence for a season before he heads to the NBA – but expect him to turn a lot of heads and gain plenty of national notoriety in the meantime.
Check out his highlight tape below, courtesy of TAKE MY TALENT.
Next: Preseason Big 12 Rankings for 2018-19
Grimes is the only player on this list who is expected to be in the conversation for National Freshmen of the Year. However, all five of these incoming recruits will be major players in the Big 12 this year. You can always count on other freshmen not listed to make significant impacts as well, but you’re going to want to make sure you get familiar with these five players.