AAC Basketball: 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose | Jun 22, 2023

Mar 5, 2020; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson talks to guard Quentin Grimes (24) and guard Marcus Sasser (0) after a play against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. UConn defeated Houston 77-71. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

20 of 26

AAC Basketball Houston Cougars guard Quentin Grimes (24) steals the ball from Syracuse Orange forward Quincy Guerrier Doug McSchooler-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Quentin Grimes

No ordinary 6’5 guard, Grimes is a Top 10 recruit who left his home state of Texas, joining Bill Self and Kansas back in 2018. After just one season with the Jayhawks, Grimes transferred back home to Houston and emerged as a major playmaker for the Cougars, leading them to their highest heights since the turn of the century.

He played two seasons for the Cougars, averaging 12.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore who started nearly all of the games in the season ended early by the pandemic. He actually scored a career-high 32 points in just his third game with the program, but what he accomplished as a junior was far more impressive. Not only were his numbers better, as Grimes averaged 17.8 points and 5.7 rebounds a game, but he helped lead the Cougars to their first Final Four in over three decades. His postseason was excellent overall, also winning AAC Tournament MVP a few weeks earlier.

Grimes was 2021’s AAC Player of the Year and it’s no surprise, as he lead the conference in points and 3-point shooting. He was a dynamic backcourt presence, the first of many that have come through the Cougars program in recent years. He was a high-efficiency offensive weapon who did really impressive work while with that Houston program, ending his collegiate career on a high note in the Final Four. The former 5-star recruit really found his footing with the Cougars and has been in the NBA these two years since.