Houston guard Quentin Grimes announced Friday that he is hiring an agent and will declare for the NBA draft.
Grimes was one of three players who averaged double figures for the Cougars and led Houston to its first NCAA Final Four appearance since 1984.
The 6′ 5″ guard posted on Instagram about his decision.
“Playing in the NBA has been a life-long dream of mine,” Grimes said. “It’s been an honor for a hometown kid to be able to wear the “Houston” jersey across my chest for the past two years.
“To Coach Sampson and Coach Q, thank you for always pushing me, holding me accountable and always challenging me to be the best version of myself – both on and off the court. To my teammates, thank you for being with me on this journey, pushing each other to work hard every day and making history. Thank you to my family, and especially my parents, for always providing me with unconditional love and support.
“To the fans of the University of Houston and the entire city, thank you for the constant love and support you have shown me since the moment I decided to come back home.”
The junior averaged 17.8 points per game and finished second on the team with 5.7 rebounds per contest. Grimes was a unanimous selection for the All-American Athletic Conference First Team and was named the league’s Player of the Year, the first since 1993.
Grimes became only the fourth player in school history to be named a Conference regular-season and Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player. He also was one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award and was named one of 10 Semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy for Player of the Year.
The deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft is May 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
The NBA draft lottery will be conducted on June 22. The draft will take place on July 29. The draft and the combine will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
