The best current NBA player from every Sweet 16 team left in the NCAA Tournament
By Ben Handler
1. Houston Cougars: Quentin Grimes
Grimes has yet to emerge as more than an NBA rotation player, but that’s enough at the moment. He looked like he was primed to break out after a nice sophomore year with the Knicks, but he basically lost his role this year.
He’s getting a bit more run now that he’s on the Pistons and I like his future outlook a lot, but he’s still got a ways to go and we haven’t seen many sustained stretches of consistent production from Grimes at the NBA level.
Still, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be a solid two-way role player in the league for many years at the very least. Two rookies could be coming for Grimes’ spot soon, his teammate in Detroit, guard Marcus Sasser, and Pacers forward Jarace Walker.
Walker was drafted in the top 10 by Indiana but hasn’t played very much on a competitive Pacers team. He’s very raw and has started to play more lately and showcase his athleticism and skills. Frankly, with how early they drafted him, it would be a bit disappointing if he wasn’t better than Grimes within a couple of years.
Historically speaking, the Cougars have had an iconic basketball program, producing such legends as Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Elvin Hayes.