Through the Phog
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Kansas basketball: 5 biggest recruiting busts during the Bill Self era

By Andrew Falkner

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts on the sideline in the second half of the game against the Villanova Wildcats during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Head coach Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts on the sideline in the second half of the game against the Villanova Wildcats during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Quentin Grimes #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
Quentin Grimes #5 of the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

5. Quentin Grimes (2018-2019, No. 10 ranked recruit in Class of 2018)

Grimes committed to Kansas with high expectations. Not only was he supposed to make an immediate impact, but some argued before the start of the 2018-19 season that he would be the best scorer on the floor for the Jayhawks that season. They could not be more wrong. He was inefficient, struggled defensively, and looked scared to be on the court.

Grimes played 27.4 minutes per contest, averaging only 8.4 points while shooting 38.4 percent from the floor. His performance as a Jayhawk was a letdown for a team that began the year as the preseason No. 1-ranked team. Grimes’ struggles were one of the primary reasons KU’s Big 12 regular season title streak was broken.

Shortly after the season, Grimes entered the transfer portal and ended up heading to the Houston Cougars for two seasons. His minutes on the floor were much better than they were as a Jayhawk, and he played so well that he led them to the Final Four in 2021. Grimes is now a guard for the New York Knicks, but that would not have been the case if he stayed at Kansas.

His basketball career has ended up successful long term, but his time at Kansas was very disappointing. We will never know how his career would have panned out if he stayed another year at Kansas. However, he made the best decision for himself and now plays at the highest level possible. He even made the Rising Stars game this year.

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