NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Top early commits from the 2021 class
AJ Griffin – Archbishop Stepinac H.S. (NY)
SF | 6-foot-7 | 200 lbs | Committed to Duke
No. 7 in Rivals150 | No. 6 in Top247
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to see that Duke is already on the leaderboard with the top-ranked early commit from the 2021 class. The Blue Devils are among the most feared recruiting programs in the nation every single year and Coach K loves to strike with a piece to build around. AJ Griffin, a 6-foot-7 forward out of New York, fits the mold in this class as he is regarded as a Top 10 player by most recruiting services.
Griffin already boasts a well-developed frame and plenty of size for the wing. He is an excellent athlete with the ability to defend positions 2-through-4 when on the court, and that is particularly valuable during the modern age. He is quick enough to handle guards while bringing enough strength – an area that should only improve with more time – to body most traditional “4s” as well.
His floor on the defensive end is very impressive for someone with an entire high school season left.
Offensively, Griffin is well-rounded but can also improve in most areas. He is a solid finisher, can stretch the floor to three, and creates for others relatively well too. It is hard to pindown any areas as truly elite or deficiencies in his game as he can fill the majority of roles on the court.
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That concludes this early look at the top commits of the 2021 class. Each of these prospects looks poised to be a major asset to their respective program in the future. It will also be interesting to see how many (if any) end up reclassifying to the 2020 group.