Meet a Roo: Kasheem Grady II

 Senior guard Kasheem Grady II is averaging 12 points over the last seven games. He was also the leading scorer in several of them. Now, head coach Marvin Menzies has elevated the senior guard into the starting lineup in the past few games.

  Here, Grady II reflected on his high school career, his first year at UMKC, and what led him to return to play for UMKC.

  Why did you start playing basketball?

  I started playing basketball because my friends were playing sports, so it just made me want to play with them. When we started playing basketball, I realized that I could have the game to play this sport, so I just took it from there. 

  How would you describe your game? 

  I would say I have a lot of swag and flair in my game. I can be very precise and simple with my moves and shooting, but I also like to give the crowd a show when they watch me play. 

  Starting off with your high school career, you played at Mount Pisgah High School, where you won a state championship. Can you describe your high school career?

  It was a building process from my freshman year to my senior year. I met a lot of coaches and teammates that helped me develop into the player I am today. 

  You started off your college career at Florida Manatee-Sarasota, then transferred to Howard College for your sophomore year. Can you talk about your years over there and what you learned?

  When I was at Florida Manatee-Sarasota, I learned a lot because it was my first year in college. I learned about the mental aspect and the physicality of the game of basketball. And then transferring to my sophomore year, I feel like I evolved into myself and the player that I am today. I feel like I had to step into more of a leader at Howard, which also helped me as well. 

  Last season was your first year at UMKC, where you were a solid role player coming off of the bench. Can you go into detail on last season and what you learned?

  I learned a lot from my first year here. The seniors from last year really did a good job of teaching me how to be a good Division One player. Even though we fell short of our goal, we had a lot of fun during the season, and I feel like I did a lot of growing as a player. 

  You and Jayson Petty are the only returners for UMKC this season. Can you talk about why you chose to come back, and your relationship with Petty?

  I came back because I really feel like we have a good culture here in Kansas City. I want to win here, and I really feel like we can do that. And my relationship with Petty is great. I look at him like a brother. He was one of the first people I met when I came out here, and he and I just created a good relationship from there. 

  What do you expect your role to be for this season?

  I feel like my role is going to be bigger than last season, as far as me being a leader. I want to show the new guys the culture, the ways of putting in work, and how to win. I feel like with Petty and I as the only returners for the team, we have to get everyone on track so we can have a successful season. 

  What are your goals for this season?

  My goal is to have a good season so we can prepare ourselves to win the Summit League Championship. We have to win every game we possibly can, and just make the most of this opportunity. 

  Single-game and season tickets can be found at this link.

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