– UHCougars.com –

– Kansas guard and College Park High School product Quentin Grimes has signed a scholarship agreement with the University of Houston Men's Basketball program, Head Coachannounced Friday.As an NCAA Division I transfer, Grimes will sit out the 2019-20 season but practice daily with the Cougars. He will compete as a redshirt sophomore beginning with the 2020-21 season and have three years of eligibility remaining."One of the things I have always liked about Quentin is his basketball IQ and his ability to make plays. Everyone knows he can score, but one of his biggest strengths is being a playmaker," said Sampson, who is the two-time defending American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. "Quentin is pretty good at a lot of things but what he does really well is think the game. That's how he is going to help us. I am excited to welcome Quentin and his family to Houston Basketball.""We had a great visit when my family came to Houston, and I knew a lot of the guys on the team. I liked they way they embraced me and made me feel welcome," Grimes said. "I liked everything about Coach Sampson and the way he coaches the game. He is a players' coach. He lets his players play through mistakes, but he still coaches them hard."Grimes returns to Houston after competing during the 2018-19 season at Kansas. There, he started all 36 games for the Jayhawks, posting 13 games with double-digit points and finishing second on the team with 72 assists.He was a 5-star recruit and McDonald's All-American while competing for Head Coach Clifton McNeely at College Park High School in The Woodlands, Texas. As a senior in 2017-18, he averaged 29.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in leading College Park HS to the District 12-6A title.Grimes competed in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit as a senior and was named the 2017-18 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, Mr. Basketball, Class 6A Player of the Year and Texas Mr. Basketball.Before entering the collegiate ranks, Grimes was the Most Valuable Player and an All-Tournament selection at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 World Championships while leading Team USA to the gold medal. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in those games.A year ago, Sampson led the Cougars to a school-record 33 wins, No. 11/12 rankings in the final national polls, the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship and the program's first berth in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 since 1984.Grimes will be one of six newcomers on Houston's 2019-20 roster. Freshman guardjoined the team at the semester break in January and sat out the second half of the season as a redshirt, while junior forwardsat out as a redshirt after transferring from Towson.Houston will be boosted by the addition of freshman forward J'Wan Roberts (Shoemaker High School) and freshman guard Marcus Sasser, who signed National Letters of Intent in November 2018. Sophomore guard Cameron Tyson joined the Cougars in April after transferring from Idaho.Fans can get a head start on the 2019-20 campaign by purchasing season tickets now, starting at only $175.Fans can purchase 2019-20 season tickets any time at UHCougars.com/tickets or by calling the Athletics Ticket Office at 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) during regular business hours.Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered team apparel, a signed basketball, invitations to practice, a tour of the $25 million Guy V. Lewis Development Facility, regular updates about the program and much more.To join the 50-50 Club, fans can call 713-743-9742 or email UHMensBasketball@uh.edu . For more information about the 50-50 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clickingon the team' Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK