As Syracuse basketball commit Alan Griffin awaits word on the NCAA’s transfer-waiver rules, the skilled wing is receiving much praise from pundits.
The NCAA’s Division I Council could – I repeat, could – vote at its scheduled May 20 meeting on proposed transfer-guideline changes, which Syracuse basketball commit Alan Griffin and other traditional transfers will certainly follow with a ton of interest.
Then again, some signs have pointed lately to the council possibly tabling this debate for now, as it relates to a vote on giving student-athletes in all sports a blanket one-time transfer exception with immediate eligibility. Even if these rules aren’t modified in the near term, Griffin could request a waiver from the NCAA to begin officially playing this fall.
While we keep a keen eye on what transpires with the council later this week, the 6-foot-5 Griffin, a promising wing from Ossining, N.Y., has arrived near the top of the national ratings for “sit-out” transfers currently eligible to suit up in the 2021-22 season.
A few days ago, 247Sports published its latest rankings, and Griffin checks in at No. 4 overall. By the way, former Orange guard Brycen Goodine, who has moved on to Big East Conference member Providence, is No. 30 on this list.
ESPN.com places Griffin at No. 7. Former ‘Cuse point guard Jalen Carey, who is considering a handful of strong crews, is No. 30 here, while Goodine is No. 34.
CBS Sports has Griffin at No. 5. This Web site only rated the top 10, so unsurprisingly neither Goodine nor Carey is included.
For the mountain of criticism that some Syracuse fanatics point in the direction of the Orange’s recent recruiting efforts, landing a top-10 transfer is absolutely commendable.
Combine Griffin with the two incoming freshmen in the ‘Cuse 2020 recruiting class – four-star guard Kadary Richmond and four-star power forward Woody Newton – and Syracuse has a trio of stars in the making.
In averaging 8.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 18.1 minutes per contest at Illinois during the most-recent campaign, Griffin displayed a knack for highly efficient scoring and rebounding, and he shot quite well from downtown.
Brian Snow, an analyst for 247Sports, wrote in part that “Griffin’s talent is undeniable, and he has a track record of success in a winning program. With multiple years remaining, he should hit the ground running for Jim Boeheim’s program.”
Let’s cross our fingers that regardless of whether the NCAA continues to fumble the transfer-waiver issue or not – and it likely will – Griffin one way or another will prove able to see the court in several months.