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Ossining resident AJ Griffin, 16, a member of the Archbishop Stepinac High School Class of 2021, considered one of the top young talents in the country, announced that he will be playing for the Duke University Blue Devils.
According to ESPN, Griffin, a 6-foot-6 small forward who excels from the wing, is the eighth-ranked prospect in the 2021 class, and is the only junior in the top-10 to make a commitment so far.
Duke has landed recruiting class in four of the past six years, with a host of talent coming from the 2020 class.
Griffin was chosen as a member of the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team in October, but was unable to attend the minicamp. He also starred as a member of the 2019 USA U16 National Team that went undefeated and won a gold medal in Brazil. Griffin averaged 13.5 points per game and a team-high 3.3 steals per game during the tournament.
As a sophomore at Stepinac, Griffin averaged 20.9 ppg., 10.9 rpg., 3.9 apg. and 3.5 bpg. to lead his team to a 14-16 record and the CHSAA Intersectional championship game, though he missed 12 games due to an injured foot.
"I picked Duke because when I went on the visit and just before that when they came to visit me on the first day they showed me that I'm their number one priority and I meant a lot to them," Griffin told 247 Sports about his decision. "I felt like we had a connection from the start and I belonged at that place. I think they can help me get to the next level. I feel like they can help my game improve."
Griffin's father, Adrian, starred at Seton Hall University, played in the NBA and was an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors. His mother, Audrey, mother was an All-American on Seton Hall’s track and field. Brother Alan plays basketball at Illinois and his sister Aubrey tried out for the 2019 USA U19 World Cup Team.
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