Coach K is getting an early start on his 2021 class it seems. AJ Griffin chose the Duke Blue Devils over a list of offers that included Villanova, Kentucky, and Michigan. This is the first commitment the Blue Devils have landed in the 2021 class and it’s a big one. Outside of Devin Askew who committed to Kentucky back on October 17th this year, no other top-10 recruit in the 2021 class has committed.
Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 200lb, Griffin is a monster of a small forward. He has the size and skill to compete at the college level right now, which will be brought up again later on down the page. He stated that his reason for picking Duke largely came from the fact that Duke made Griffin their top priority and they quickly formed a strong bond.
“I felt like we had a connection from the start and I belonged at that place…I feel they can help my game improve.” -Griffin to 247Sports
The Blue Devils are getting one of the most exciting players in the class with Griffin. He is athletic, loves to block shots, handles the ball well enough to be the primary ball-handler at times, and has a killer instinct to his game. Although he is in the 2021 class, for now, there is a chance he could move up to the 2020 class. Really early commitments (Won’t be able to sign NLI until next year) can often signal at least a potential interest in reclassifying. With Duke’s recruiting class sitting at the top of the 2020 class right now the addition of Griffin to that group could make for a truly special class.
Griffin has averaged double figures in points not only in high school play but also in international play with the U16 USA team that took gold at the 2019 FIBA Americas Championship with 13.5 points and 3.3 steals per game.
