KU’s Marcus Garrett isn’t taken in NBA Draft but former Jayhawk Quentin Grimes is
Former Kansas Jayhawks point guard/shooting guard Marcus Garrett was not selected in Thursday night’s two-round, 60-pick NBA Draft.
Garrett, who worked out for New Orleans, Indiana, Golden State, Utah and others, was skipped after averaging 11.0 points with 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 assists a game in 2020-21 at KU.
Garrett, a 6-foot-5 native of Dallas known for his work on defense, still could land a two-way contract in coming days or at the very least be invited to play for an NBA team in the upcoming Las Vegas summer league. He could ultimately make the roster of a team as a free agent.
Former KU guard Quentin Grimes, who transferred to Houston after his freshman season in Lawrence, was drafted by the New York Knicks in the first round at No. 25 overall.
“According to a source, the Knicks were wowed by Grimes’ workout this month. They liked his size, shooting and toughness on defense,” wrote Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The 6-5 Grimes averaged 17.9 points a game last season at Houston. He hit 40.3% of his threes.
“Grimes is one of just two NCAA players who ranked in the top 10 in offensive and defensive rating, and scouts deem him NBA ready,” Berman wrote. “Scouts don’t view Grimes as a potential star, but at the NBA Combine last month, he likely played his way into first-round consideration as a solid role guy.”
Also on Tuesday, Villanova’s Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who played at Bishop Miege three years in high school before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, was a second-round pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Robinson-Earl, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward, was the second pick of the second round. As a sophomore last season, he led Villanova in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (8.5) and was named co-Big East Player of the Year. He was the Big East Freshman of the Year in 2020.
“Robinson-Earl projects to be a role player at the NBA level, doing a little bit of everything. A player who has always been a well-respected teammate and leader, he rarely makes mistakes and should be able to impact winning in the NBA immediately,” wrote Nick Crain of SI.com.
Robinson-Earl, who played two seasons in college, averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season at Villanova.
“If he’s going to have as long of an NBA career as he’d like, the biggest thing he will need to improve upon is his three-point shooting. The 6-foot-9 forward shot just 28.0 percent from deep on 3.3 attempts per contest,” wrote Crain.
