The Memphis Grizzlies signed first round picks Xavier Henry (ZAH-vee-ay) and Greivis Vasquez (GRAY-vess VASS-kez) to multi-year contracts, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“It’s great to have both Xavier and Greivis signed and in the fold now,” Wallace said. “They’re both very bright young men from tremendous college programs. We think they can definitely help our team.
“Xavier has an advantage in that he has an NBA body. He can make shots. That’s his main strength right now. He’s also a very mature, heady young man from a terrific basketball family.
“Greivis is a player coming off a fantastic senior year at Maryland, where he won the Bob Cousy Award as the top playmaker in the country and the ACC Player of the Year. He was an across-the-board player in college. He scored, rebounded, assisted, and got steals. He just needs to come in and play that all-around game, and also show the passion that was his trademark in college.”
Henry, a 6-6, 220-pound guard, was selected 12th overall by the Grizzlies in the 2010 NBA Draft after earning 2009-10 Big 12 All-Freshman honors in his lone season at the University of Kansas. The southpaw placed second on the Jayhawks in scoring (13.4 points) while averaging 4.4 rebounds and 1.50 steals per game.
The 19-year-old marksman, who shot 41.8 percent from three-point range (69-of-165 3FG) in college, will add perimeter shooting to a Grizzlies squad that finished 30th in the NBA in three-point field goals made (344) and attempted (1020) and 26th in three-point field goal percentage (.337) last season. Born in Gent, Belgium and raised in Oklahoma City, Henry is the first player in Jayhawks history to leave for the NBA following his freshman season.
Vasquez, a 6-6, 200-pound guard, was selected 28th overall by the Grizzlies in the 2010 NBA Draft. The reigning ACC Player of the Year and the winner of the 2009-10 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best point guard, Vasquez is the only player in ACC history to record at least 2,000 points (2,171), 750 assists (772) and 600 rebounds (647) in a career. The 23-year-old posted 19.6 points, 6.3 assists (5th in NCAA) and 4.6 rebounds as a senior at the University of Maryland.
A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Vasquez averaged 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and a team-high 4.0 assists in five games (three starts) in the 2010 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
