Kalen Grimes of Missouri Earns Redemption, Will Play in Poland

Former Tiger Kalen Grimes has signed a contract to play professional basketball in Poland.  The short article is a little ways down the page and somewhat hard to get to.  I'll post a more comprehensive one from MU's Official Sports Report for your convenience:

"Former Missouri Tiger basketball player Kalen Grimes inked a professional contract with a team in Poland this week.  The St. Louis native signed with Banks BPS Basket Kwidzyn and will play for a club that finished 8-10 last season in the regular season.

"Grimes’ new club has loaded up on American talent during the offseason.  In addition to the 6'9", 260-pound former Tiger, BPS has added former St. John’s point guard Erick Barkley, former Memphis Tiger and Toronto Raptors performer Chris Garner, and former Troy State standout Greg Davis.

"Grimes enjoyed his best season at Missouri in 2006-07 as a junior.  He averaged 6.9 points and a team-leading 5.6 rebounds in helping Mizzou to an 18-12 overall record.  While he was later dismissed from the team for an off-the-court incident prior to the start of his senior season, Grimes remained in school and completed his undergraduate degree from Missouri in May of 2008."

Note to any future Tigers who might run into discipline problems someday in the future: This is how you respond to making a stupid mistake.  Kalen messed up and did something that was completely idiotic.  I think he'd be the first to admit that, and he knew he had consequences to face.

Mike Anderson made sure he was punished by suspending him for the season, but he didn't just slam the door on him by taking away his scholarship, which in all likelihood would have ended Grimes' career and his chances of earning a college degree. 

Instead of pulling a Stefhon Hannah and trying to duck and run after screwing up, Kalen continued working hard in the gym and in the classroom, ended up graduating with a degree, and earned this contract overseas.

I'd imagine it was fairly awkward for Grimes going to class every day, knowing that most of your classmates were probably snickering and making Dairy Queen jokes behind your back.  But he toughed it out, and now he's been rewarded.

As far as I'm concerned, Kalen Grimes is a fantastic representative of the University of Missouri.