University of Minnesota Athletics
The Highlight Reel: Junior Guard Vincent Grier
3/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
When Grier has the ball and an open court is in front of him, Golden Gopher faithful are up and cheering before he's even near the basket. They know what's coming. Fifteen times this season, Grier has thrown down rim-rattling dunks; the kind where you can almost hear Dick Vitale yelling "he's a high-riser, baby." Like a runaway train barreling down a steep slope, Grier speeds towards the basket and emphatically dunks, leaving the Williams Arena crowd in a frenzy. The athletic guard from Charlotte, N.C. can do more than just dunk, mind you. It's his outside shooting and his willingness to pass that truly make him a dangerous player. After only half a season in the playing for Minnesota, Grier already has opposing teams and their coaches talking about him.
After a 69-55 Gopher loss to Michigan State, Spartan coach Tom Izzo praised Grier's playmaking ability.
"The big key for us was to stop Vincent Grier. We sort of played the `Jordan rule.' Every time he touched the ball, we had six eyes on him," Izzo said. "I've never seen a player in this league with such acceleration. Like I said before, we had six eyes on (Grier) at all times. You can't give him any room because he's so explosive and to top it off, he's so unselfish, that's what makes them fun to watch," Izzo said.
UNC Greensboro Head Coach Fran McCaffrey understood that theory after visiting Williams Arena earlier this season. "I think Vincent Grier just totally dominated the game. When he's making jumpers, he's virtually impossible to stop," McCaffrey said. "You look to try to contain him in the open floor. You try to limit what he can do by what you do on offense which limits his number of transition opportunities."
After an early season Big Ten win versus Purdue, a game that Grier poured in 14, Gene Keady told reporters of how frustrating it is to guard the Golden Gophers because of their athleticism. And Dick Vitale lists Grier on his 2004-05 midseason All-Juco Transfer Team, to boot.
Grier came to the University of Minnesota as a junior college transfer from Dixie State Junior College. He decided on Dixie State because he wanted to stay close to his grandparents, Lizzie and Gerona Goode, whom hadn't missed one of his games in years. It was there that Grier came into his own as a player. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. He was named to the Region 18 all region and All-Scenic Western Athletic Conference teams. The Sporting News rated him the second best junior college shooting guard and Lindy's had him at No.1. What all this adds up to is a lot of interest from Division I programs. While being recruited by some of the most prolific programs in the country, Grier decided early on he wanted to come to Minnesota.
"They had a great coaching staff, they were great during the recruiting process," Grier said. "I just knew that if I came here, I could have an immediate impact and help the program get back on top," Grier said.
Despite coming from another part of the country and not having a prior relationship with any of his new Gopher teammates, it didn't take long for Grier to become comfortable with the team and his coaches, he said. That comfort has resulted in a selfless attitude and enjoyment of the game for Grier and the rest team, and it shows on the court too. How often do you see a player and a coach exchange a chest bump or give each other highfives while the ball is in play? There have been a few instances this season where the Gopher forward gets so fired up he has celebrated with Head Coach Dan Monson, including a chest bump in the Florida State game.
"We're out there having fun, this is a great team. The bond is there with every player and every coach," Grier said. "You gotta bring intensity, and intensity comes with energy." From the coach's perspective, it's all about the fun of playing the game and keeping the attitude positive.
"I love this team, I love coaching them. I've had more fun coaching this team than in my first five years combined. They're a group that wants to win and do the right thing," Monson said.
While some might argue that Grier is the star of the team, he doesn't play like a star in the traditional sense. Instead of forcing tough shots, he finds the open man. He is third on the team in assists behind only Rico Tucker and Aaron Robinson. Not only does he share, but he'll do some dirty work as well. Grier is tied for first on the team in steals with 40, and he leads the team in rebounds with 108. Grier has believed he can excel at a high level of basketball, and he had confidence he was athletic enough to star in the Big Ten, but even Grier is a bit surprised how successful he's been, he said.
"I knew I could play basketball and I knew I could have an immediate impact, but I still didn't know how great it was going to be. But I just had confidence in myself and that I can help this team and whatever happens, happens. It just so happens it's been great this season so far," Grier said.
While it may be a bit early to call the season great, many would consider it a success. For the first time in years, writers and analysts are giving the Gophers careful consideration for the NCAA Tournament. This despite the fact that Minnesota is playing without it's top six scorers and top two rebounders from last season. The Maroon and Gold have already surpassed last year's overall win total and are close to doubling their Big Ten win total. A good amount of the team's success is due to Grier, but he gets a little help from his friends. For example, Kris Humphries and Michael Bauer combined to average 15.2 rebounds per game last season, almost half the team's total rebounds. Obviously their respective departures would hurt the Gophers' rebounding, right? Well, with Grier averaging 5.4, center Jeff Hagen averaging 5.3, forward J'son Stamper with 4.6 rebounds per game and three others grabbing at least 2.5 boards a game, the Gophers are rebounding just as well as last season, just better as a collective group.
Playing as a unit instead of a group of individuals is important in any team sport, and is essential to win at a competitive level. Most of the players on this team didn't know each other before the season, much less know about each other's playing style. But Grier said this team has come together and learned to play together as well as any he's been on, he said.
"I didn't know anybody when I came here," Grier said. "I just knew they had recruited this person and this person. All I knew is that we needed to come together in the summertime, develop a bond and try to win ball games."
While that bond continues to strengthen, the wins continue to add up. While the team focuses on individual game, the Gophers have a strong chance of reaching 20 wins for the first time since the 1992-93 season. Perhaps even more important is the team's ability to have fun, play together and play with energy. As Grier as emerged as this team's standout player, he continually adheres to the team concept. And as far as fun and energy go....the next time Grier has the ball and is driving towards the basket, prepare yourself. Because a dazzling dunk, and maybe even a chest bump, is on the way.
story by Kevin Morales, athletic communications student assistant To say Vincent Grier is exciting to watch is like saying Reggie Miller can shoot well. It's a bit of an understatement. Throughout the season, Golden Gopher fans have learned that when No. 15 has the ball in his hands, there's rarely a dull moment. With exceptional play on both ends of the floor, 16.5 points and two steals per game, Grier is big reason why the "U" has been able to surpass the modest preseason predictions of most basketball analysts. When he's not making acrobatic shots in a crowd of defenders or ripping the ball from his opponents, Grier is probably cleaning up on the boards, where he averages 5.4 rebounds per contest. Whatever Grier is doing on the floor, he does it with intensity and a team-first attitude. It's easy to understand why this year's squad is having fun and is so much fun to watch.
When Grier has the ball and an open court is in front of him, Golden Gopher faithful are up and cheering before he's even near the basket. They know what's coming. Fifteen times this season, Grier has thrown down rim-rattling dunks; the kind where you can almost hear Dick Vitale yelling "he's a high-riser, baby." Like a runaway train barreling down a steep slope, Grier speeds towards the basket and emphatically dunks, leaving the Williams Arena crowd in a frenzy. The athletic guard from Charlotte, N.C. can do more than just dunk, mind you. It's his outside shooting and his willingness to pass that truly make him a dangerous player. After only half a season in the playing for Minnesota, Grier already has opposing teams and their coaches talking about him.
After a 69-55 Gopher loss to Michigan State, Spartan coach Tom Izzo praised Grier's playmaking ability.
"The big key for us was to stop Vincent Grier. We sort of played the `Jordan rule.' Every time he touched the ball, we had six eyes on him," Izzo said. "I've never seen a player in this league with such acceleration. Like I said before, we had six eyes on (Grier) at all times. You can't give him any room because he's so explosive and to top it off, he's so unselfish, that's what makes them fun to watch," Izzo said.
UNC Greensboro Head Coach Fran McCaffrey understood that theory after visiting Williams Arena earlier this season. "I think Vincent Grier just totally dominated the game. When he's making jumpers, he's virtually impossible to stop," McCaffrey said. "You look to try to contain him in the open floor. You try to limit what he can do by what you do on offense which limits his number of transition opportunities."
After an early season Big Ten win versus Purdue, a game that Grier poured in 14, Gene Keady told reporters of how frustrating it is to guard the Golden Gophers because of their athleticism. And Dick Vitale lists Grier on his 2004-05 midseason All-Juco Transfer Team, to boot.
Grier came to the University of Minnesota as a junior college transfer from Dixie State Junior College. He decided on Dixie State because he wanted to stay close to his grandparents, Lizzie and Gerona Goode, whom hadn't missed one of his games in years. It was there that Grier came into his own as a player. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. He was named to the Region 18 all region and All-Scenic Western Athletic Conference teams. The Sporting News rated him the second best junior college shooting guard and Lindy's had him at No.1. What all this adds up to is a lot of interest from Division I programs. While being recruited by some of the most prolific programs in the country, Grier decided early on he wanted to come to Minnesota.
"They had a great coaching staff, they were great during the recruiting process," Grier said. "I just knew that if I came here, I could have an immediate impact and help the program get back on top," Grier said.
Despite coming from another part of the country and not having a prior relationship with any of his new Gopher teammates, it didn't take long for Grier to become comfortable with the team and his coaches, he said. That comfort has resulted in a selfless attitude and enjoyment of the game for Grier and the rest team, and it shows on the court too. How often do you see a player and a coach exchange a chest bump or give each other highfives while the ball is in play? There have been a few instances this season where the Gopher forward gets so fired up he has celebrated with Head Coach Dan Monson, including a chest bump in the Florida State game.
"We're out there having fun, this is a great team. The bond is there with every player and every coach," Grier said. "You gotta bring intensity, and intensity comes with energy." From the coach's perspective, it's all about the fun of playing the game and keeping the attitude positive.
"I love this team, I love coaching them. I've had more fun coaching this team than in my first five years combined. They're a group that wants to win and do the right thing," Monson said.
While some might argue that Grier is the star of the team, he doesn't play like a star in the traditional sense. Instead of forcing tough shots, he finds the open man. He is third on the team in assists behind only Rico Tucker and Aaron Robinson. Not only does he share, but he'll do some dirty work as well. Grier is tied for first on the team in steals with 40, and he leads the team in rebounds with 108. Grier has believed he can excel at a high level of basketball, and he had confidence he was athletic enough to star in the Big Ten, but even Grier is a bit surprised how successful he's been, he said.
"I knew I could play basketball and I knew I could have an immediate impact, but I still didn't know how great it was going to be. But I just had confidence in myself and that I can help this team and whatever happens, happens. It just so happens it's been great this season so far," Grier said.
While it may be a bit early to call the season great, many would consider it a success. For the first time in years, writers and analysts are giving the Gophers careful consideration for the NCAA Tournament. This despite the fact that Minnesota is playing without it's top six scorers and top two rebounders from last season. The Maroon and Gold have already surpassed last year's overall win total and are close to doubling their Big Ten win total. A good amount of the team's success is due to Grier, but he gets a little help from his friends. For example, Kris Humphries and Michael Bauer combined to average 15.2 rebounds per game last season, almost half the team's total rebounds. Obviously their respective departures would hurt the Gophers' rebounding, right? Well, with Grier averaging 5.4, center Jeff Hagen averaging 5.3, forward J'son Stamper with 4.6 rebounds per game and three others grabbing at least 2.5 boards a game, the Gophers are rebounding just as well as last season, just better as a collective group.
Playing as a unit instead of a group of individuals is important in any team sport, and is essential to win at a competitive level. Most of the players on this team didn't know each other before the season, much less know about each other's playing style. But Grier said this team has come together and learned to play together as well as any he's been on, he said.
"I didn't know anybody when I came here," Grier said. "I just knew they had recruited this person and this person. All I knew is that we needed to come together in the summertime, develop a bond and try to win ball games."
While that bond continues to strengthen, the wins continue to add up. While the team focuses on individual game, the Gophers have a strong chance of reaching 20 wins for the first time since the 1992-93 season. Perhaps even more important is the team's ability to have fun, play together and play with energy. As Grier as emerged as this team's standout player, he continually adheres to the team concept. And as far as fun and energy go....the next time Grier has the ball and is driving towards the basket, prepare yourself. Because a dazzling dunk, and maybe even a chest bump, is on the way.
story by Kevin Morales, athletic communications student assistant
