Syracuse Basketball: Alan Griffin is a ‘double-figure scorer and starter’

Syracuse basketball junior wing Alan Griffin is one of Jon Rothstein’s 25 impact transfers for the upcoming campaign.

Syracuse basketball junior wing Alan Griffin, a native of Ossining, N.Y., who transferred to the Orange from Illinois over the off-season, is garnering all kinds of national praise as the 2020-21 term inches closer to fruition.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein recently published his list of 25 impact transfers for 2020-21, not including those who have pending waivers before the NCAA, and Griffin unsurprisingly made the cut.

Ever since Griffin revealed that he would head from Illinois to the Hill, national analysts and writers have pegged him as one of the top-10 to top-15 transfers across the country, as it pertains to players who have switched teams and are eligible to officially compete in the coming months.

"Here’s what Rothstein had to say about Griffin: “Syracuse will miss Elijah Hughes’ offense, but Griffin should fill his role seamlessly. The 6-5 wing averaged 8.9 points last year at Illinois and made 47 three-point shots while only averaging 18.1 minutes. Now set to have an expanded role with the Orange, Griffin should be a double-figure scorer and starter for Syracuse in 20-21.”"

Syracuse basketball junior wing Alan Griffin is getting positive recognition from college hoops insider Jon Rothstein.

Now, Rothstein is easily one of the most knowledgeable journalists in the sport, however, the jury is still out, at least from my perspective, on whether Griffin will start for the ‘Cuse in 2020-21.

Yes, he’s an extremely efficient scorer and rebounder, and Griffin is more than competent in connecting on shots from beyond the arc. But let’s remember that this is the first stanza for him in the Orange system.

Meanwhile, sophomore Quincy Guerrier has a term of experience under his belt in Central New York, and I could see either him or Griffin starting at forward, alongside senior Marek Dolezaj.

Then again, Griffin is a versatile wing whom I imagine could also see some run at shooting guard, so whether he starts or not is relatively unimportant here. What matters the most is that Griffin should receive an abundance of minutes in head coach Jim Boeheim’s rotation.