Depending on the source, you will find the world has about 200 countries. It seems like the domestic agenda for many includes having a professional basketball league. A man drew this conclusion hearing the news that the darling of Gopher basketball last season and the year before, Vince Grier, has made his way to South Korea where playing professionally will make him a faster buck than the NBA’s Development League that he exited from here in the states.
Grier was not chosen in last spring’s NBA draft but signed with the Miami Heat where he was the last player cut coming out of training camp. He played in only three pre-season games, averaging 3.3 points on 72% shooting. He averaged just 12 minutes of playing time.
That experience was far different from Minnesota where he was the team’s star averaging 16.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.12 steals during his two seasons. Last season in Big Ten Conference games only, he finished 14th in scoring, ninth in rebounding and third in steals. He was third team all-Big Ten as chosen by the conference coaches.
It’s not easy to make an NBA roster as a free agent, particularly as a player with no pro experience. Still, Grier is a prospect worth following in future years and he likely will try for an NBA roster spot come fall.
At Minnesota Grier was a savior whose athleticism and scoring helped the Gophers reach the NCAA tournament in 2005. The 6-foot-5 Grier is a slashing offensive player with an inconsistent jump shot. He’s so left-hand dominant that it can seem like he doesn’t have a right hand. Defensively, Grier looked ready for the NBA in college.
Timberwolves’ assistant general manager Fred Hoiberg agrees with the assessment of Grier offered here. He was asked if Grier, possibly a fit at shooting guard or small forward, can play in the NBA. “We’ll see,” Hoiberg answered. “It all depends on how he plays and… getting put in the right situation would be a big part of it.”
Grier is on a list of former Gophers globetrotting around the world. The University sports information department has tracked the following players: Antoine Broxie and Terrance Simmons, Saudia Arabia; Adam Boone and Mo Hargrow, Austria; Arriel McDonald and Quincy Lewis, Spain; Jerry Holman, Turkey; Michael Bauer, Germany; Sam Jacobson, Italy; Dusty Rychart, Australia.