The search for a school to play basketball past his high school days came to an end recently for Batesville High School senior Alex Grimsley.

Grimsley chose to play college basketball at Kent State University for first-year head coach Geno Ford.

“Of all the schools Kent State had the best basketball and academic options for me,” Grimsley commented. “I really enjoyed visiting with the coaching staff and some of the players when I visited the campus.

“And it is relatively close to Batesville,” he added.

The 6’6” forward averaged 19 points and eight rebounds for the Bulldogs, which finished 24-3 last season, losing only to teams ranked No. 1 in the state in their respective divisions.

The Bulldogs ended the year ranked 11th among all divisions in the state according to the Sagarin Ratings after advancing to final four of the Class 3A state tournament.

“Alex is a blue collar type of player who has a high skill level and is deceptively athletic,” said Ford. “He is a cerebral player who will have a very good career at Kent State.”

Grimsley was ranked No. 8 among high school prospects in southern Indiana, according to the university’s Web site.

Grimsley was a key contributor to the Bulldogs’ back-to-back appearances at the Class 3A Seymour Semistate.

“I am extremely happy for Alex,” Batesville head coach Mel Siefert commented. “His hard work on the court and patience choosing a place to play college basketball really paid off.

“I believe this is a great opportunity for him,” he added.

This spring he participated in the Hoosier Basketball Magazine North/South All-Star Classic as well as the Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association East/West All-Star Game.

Kent State is one of just seven teams in the country to win 20 games each of the last 10 seasons. Last year the Golden Flashes went 28-7 and won the MAC regular season and tournament championships on their way to a fifth NCAA appearance in the last 10 seasons.