NCAA Basketball: 8 potential landing spots for Illinois transfer Jacob Grandison
By Joey Loose
Arizona
Last season, most of Arizona’s offense came in the paint, with Christian Koloko and Azuolas Tubelis having dynamic seasons, helping the Wildcats have one of the best interior offenses in the nation. Koloko is gone, as is the talented Benedict Mathurin, leaving the Wildcats to depend more on players like Kerr Kriisa moving forward. It was Mathurin and Kriisa who did much of the work from long-range, meaning Grandison could slide quite nicely into that role.
In year two under Tommy Lloyd’s system, Grandison could be one of those missing cogs to elevate the Wildcats to national heights for a second straight season. With Kriisa likely having an even bigger role in the offense next year, being able to plug in someone who can reliably knock down outside shots would be a major win for this offense. Additionally, Grandison is from California and this would be the option closest to home for him.
Duke
The work that new head coach Jon Scheyer has put in on the recruiting trail has already been impressive, though we all know that games are won on the court, not in people’s living rooms. The Blue Devils have a talented array of young talent coming to Durham next season, highlighted by 5-star big men Dereck Lively, Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell.
One thing missing from this offense is an assassin from outside, making Grandison seem like a perfect fit for the Blue Devils. There are talented shooters already on Duke, but Grandison brings a level of experience that the Blue Devils can’t find with this young lineup. Additionally, leading 3-point shooters AJ Griffin and Wendell Moore aren’t coming back, meaning Grandison could make a splash of an impact from the beginning.