AJ Griffin
Adrian Darnell "AJ" Griffin Jr. (born August 25, 2003) is an American basketball player . He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Griffin is a potential top five pick in the 2022 NBA draft .
Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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Born | Dallas, Texas | August 25, 2003|||||||||||||
Nationality | American | |||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||
Listed weight | 222 lb (101 kg) | |||||||||||||
Career information | ||||||||||||||
High school | Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, New York) | |||||||||||||
College | Duke (2021–2022) | |||||||||||||
Position | Small forward | |||||||||||||
Number | 21 | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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High school career
Griffin played basketball for Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York.[1] As a freshman, he played with his older brother, Alan, and helped his team win its first Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Archdiocesan title since 1984.[2] In his sophomore season, he and R. J. Davis formed one of the top backcourts in the nation.[3] Griffin averaged 20.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.5 blocks per game.[4] As a junior, he averaged 17.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game, missing most of the season with a knee injury, and led Stepinac to the CHSAA Archdiocesan title. Griffin was sidelined for his senior season by an ankle injury.[5] He was named to the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic rosters.[6]
Recruiting
Griffin was rated a five-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals, and a four-star recruit by ESPN.[7] On November 4, 2019, he committed to playing college basketball for Duke over offers from Kentucky and Villanova.[8]
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
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AJ Griffin SF |
Ossining, NY | Archbishop Stepinac (NY) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 222 lb (101 kg) | Nov 4, 2019 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals:![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 16 247Sports: 11 ESPN: 29 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
On November 19, 2021, Griffin scored 18 points in an 88–55 win against Lafayette.[9] He was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team as well as Honorable Mention All-ACC.[10] At the conclusion of his freshman season, Griffin announced his intention to enter the 2022 NBA draft.[11] Griffin is a potential top five pick in the 2022 NBA draft . [12]
National team career
Griffin represented the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Brazil. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[13] Griffin scored 18 points against Canada in the final.[14]
Personal life
Griffin is a Christian and often takes to social media to speak about his faith.[15] Griffin's father, Adrian, played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for ten seasons before becoming a coach in the league, and serves as an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors. His mother, Audrey, ran track for Seton Hall. Two of his siblings have played college basketball: his brother, Alan, at Illinois and Syracuse, and his sister, Aubrey, at UConn.[16]
References
- Marks, Brendan (April 13, 2020). "A.J. Griffin is primed to be another in a long line of Duke stars". The Athletic. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- Thomson, Josh (February 24, 2018). "Boys basketball: Griffin brothers lead Stepinac to Archdiocesan title". The Journal News. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- McLamb, Michael (February 13, 2019). "Archbishop Stepinac finds new life with dynamic duo". Mars Reel. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- Drumwright, Steve (May 24, 2019). "AJ Griffin Hopes Continued Improvement in His Game Results in U16 National Team Spot". USA Basketball. Red Line Editorial. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- Thomson, Josh (February 9, 2021). "Boys basketball: Stepinac's Adrian Griffin Jr., a Duke commit, may not return for senior season". The Journal News. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- Krest, Shawn (February 26, 2021). "Duke Signees Paolo Banchero, A.J. Griffin Named McDonald's All-Americans". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- Watson, John (April 21, 2021). "The curious case of AJ Griffin and ESPN's rankings". 247Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- Jordan, Jason (November 4, 2019). "2021 Chosen 25 wing A.J. Griffin commits to Duke". USA Today. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- "Wendell Moore Jr. heats up as No. 7 Duke beats Lafayette". ESPN. Associated Press. November 19, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- "ACC Unveils 2021–22 Men's Basketball Awards" (Press release). Atlantic Coast Conference. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
- Aaron Beard (April 24, 2022). "Blue Devils Griffin becomes5th Duke player to bolt for NBA". WVNews.com. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
- "Adrian Griffin Jr". NBA Draft Room. Retrieved 2022-04-27.
- "Adrian Griffin (USA)'s profile – FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2019". FIBA. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- Giles, Matt (June 29, 2019). "Gifted 15-year-old treasures Duke basketball offer, plans to visit". Ball Durham. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- Doering, Joshua. "Freshman AJ Griffin boldly living as follower of Christ while leading Duke to Final Four". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
- Waters, Mike (November 13, 2020). "Meet the Griffins: How family helped shape Alan, Syracuse basketball's exciting newcomer". The Post-Standard. Retrieved December 16, 2020.