Grimes tops ratings after hot night that put KU into the Big 12 tourney title game

By Matt Tait     Mar 15, 2019

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Kansas guard Quentin Grimes (5) signals three after being fouled on a made three-point attempt during the first half, Friday, March 15, 2019 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

**1 – Quentin Grimes -** His 5-of-5 shooting clip from 3-point range in the first half was the story and his confidence in other aspects of his game only grew from there. Finished with 18 points after a quiet first half, but added 8 rebounds and 3 assists to his point total during what was easily his best game since KU’s win over Michigan State in the season opener.

**2 – Devon Dotson -** Dropped in 13 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists and had complete command of the game, on both ends, from start to finish. His dimes got others going all night and he turned it over just once, bringing his totals for the tournament to 10 assists and 1 turnover.

**3 – Dedric Lawson -** How about dropping in 24 points and 8 rebounds on 75 percent shooting and falling to third in the ratings? Lawson was great and he found creative ways to score. The fact that two guys on his team played even better is great news for this group.

**4 – Marcus Garrett -** Grimes’ 4-point play no doubt got this team going, but before that Garrett’s willingness to drive it hard to the rim played a huge role in helping Kansas find its flow. Finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds in 30 minutes.

**5 – Mitch Lightfoot -** Tallied as many blocks (4) as points and is really starting to be an every-game enforcer for these Jayhawks, with his total number of blocks for the tournament now sitting at 7… and counting.

**6 – David McCormack -** He wasn’t as good on Friday as he was on Thursday night, but, still, 7 points and 8 rebounds in 25 minutes will be a line KU coach Bill Self takes just about every time. The most important thing about his seven points was the fact that they came as a result of his work on the offensive glass, where he grabbed 5 of his 8 boards.

**7 – Ochai Agbaji -** Wound up with 9 points on 4-of-9 shooting and finished on a high note after another tough first half. The arrow is starting to point back up for Agbaji, though, and a big game in the final against Iowa State could send him soaring.

**8 – K.J. Lawson -** Tallied 2 rebounds and 2 fouls in just 10 minutes while splitting his time between the post and the perimeter in what was a classic whatever-the-team-needs type of night.

**9 – Charlie Moore -** Hit just 1 of 3 shots and turned it over twice in 10 minutes.

Season Standings:
———–

1 – Devon Dotson – 241

2 – Dedric Lawson – 240

3 – Marcus Garrett – 157

4 – Quentin Grimes – 150

5 – Lagerald Vick – 132

6 – Mitch Lightfoot – 124

7 – Ochai Agbaji – 100

7 – David McCormack – 100

9 – K.J. Lawson – 85

10 – Charlie Moore – 81

*Note: Injured center Udoka Azubuike had recorded 50 points through KU’s first 13 games of the season and freshman Ochai Agbaji did not start playing until Game 15. Senior Lagerald Vick left the team to take a leave of absence with no timetable two days before Game 24.*

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.