Duke basketball dream class: Five 2021 recruits who’d gel devilishly well
By Matt Giles
434. Pick Analysis. Five-star. A.J. Griffin. SF. Scouting Report. No. 8 ranking. player
Seeing that the 6-foot-7, 200-pound small forward boasts the length, strength, tenacity, and perimeter skills to play several positions, Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) junior A.J. Griffin — who announced his decision to join #TheBrotherhood in early November — was an ideal first 2021 catch for the Duke basketball coaches.
In terms of comparisons to former Blue Devils, Griffin appears somewhere in between an R.J. Barrett and Justise Winslow. His outside stroke could use a little tinkering. But his impressive driving ability and aggressive defense leave little room for complaints.
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Plus, keep in mind that past recruits to have committed to the Duke basketball program with more than a year to go in high school include legendary names like J.J. Redick and Grayson Allen. In other words, such rare early pledges typically point to an all-in mentality and have turned out well for Mike Krzyzewski. There’s no reason to think Griffin would be an exception.
Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to play alongside a top-of-the-line point guard…