Where Are They Now?
The Massillon, Ohio, native was a team captain his senior season. He scored a career-high 18 points versus North Carolina and was named Preseason NIT All-Tournament after going 6/13 from three-point land versus the Tar Heels.
After a stint in professional basketball, the three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and his wife made the Twin Cities their permanent home. Grim recently spent time with GopherHole.com discussing his game winning shot against Penn State in 1995, his thoughts on the current state of the Gopher program, and his basketball career.
GH.com: Where has your post Gopher career taken you?
David Grim: After my playing days with the Gophers, I had a stint with the St. Paul Slam. While it was a quick experience, it was fun being able to play with some former Gophers. From there, my wife and I settled down in the Twin Cities, and I have been in private business for the last eight years or so.
GH.com: As you look back on your Gopher career, are there certain games that stick out more than others?
Grim: There are definitely games that stick out more than others. Two of them happen to be losses, and those were the NCAA Tournament losses to Louisville and St. Louis. We were up big at the half against Louisville and just let it slip away. It was the opposite against St. Louis, where we were down big and had to battle back only to fall short.
On a more positive note, I hit the game winning buzzer shot against Penn State in 1995 to kick off the Big Ten season. In 1994 we blew out Wisconsin twice [by a combined 68 points], and certainly those two games were memorable.
GH.com: What former teammates and coaches do you most often keep in contact with?
Grim: Chad Kolander and I are good friends. I talk with him quite often.
GH.com: How did Williams Arena compare to other stadiums you played at?
Grim: The Barn is a very special place to play. The bigger the game, the more of a home court advantage it became. The program really needs to get that back, as it has been quieter over the last few years. One of the nice things about playing in the Big Ten is we got to play in some amazing venues, but none compared to Williams Arena. What makes it special is how old it is and how close the fans are to the court. That second deck makes the players feel like the fans are right on top of them.
GH.com: What lessons did you learn from your teammates?
Grim: I think the big lesson I learned is that if you really enjoy something, you have to work at it every single day. I didn’t work at basketball probably to the magnitude that I needed to, and that is why my professional basketball career was short lived. Whereas a guy like Voshon Lenard knew from the minute he stepped on campus that he wanted to play in the NBA, and he worked very hard at it. He’s still doing well this many years later.
GH.com: Who was the best teammate you ever played with?
Grim: Without a doubt it was Bobby Jackson. He came in from junior college my senior year, and he immediately made an impact in practice and workouts. Then he got hurt right away and missed half the season, but when he came back he immediately made everyone on the court better. I am not surprised at all by his success at Minnesota a year later or in the NBA.
GH.com: How often are you able to get back to The Barn to see the Gophers play?
Grim: I try to get to at least a few games a year. I still enjoy going to the games and supporting the program. The coaches need more stability in the roster. The program has had three big recruits come through the last few years, and Rick Rickert is the only guy that stayed a full two years. That just kills team chemistry, recruiting consistency, and the development of the other guys. It is as if it has been one step forward and two steps back the last few years. Hopefully they are learning from this and are able to have a consistent roster of which to develop players and a team.
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