Sports SUmmary: Alan Griffin reportedly preparing to enter NBA Draft

Sports SUmmary: Alan Griffin reportedly preparing to enter NBA Draft

The junior forward averaged 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in just one season with Syracuse.
Published: April 14, 2021
Syracuse vs Houston
Syracuse plays Houston in the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament held at Hinkle Fieldhouse on March 27, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

After one season with Syracuse men’s basketball, Alan Griffin is expected to sign with an agent and enter the NBA Draft, according to Adam Zagoria. The junior forward from Ossining, New York, is the third Orange player to leave Syracuse to pursue a pro career this year, following the lead of Quincy Guerrier and Marek Dolezaj.

Griffin played two seasons of college basketball at Illinois before transferring to Syracuse. While at Illinois, he averaged 5.8 points per game and 3.0 rebounds. His numbers greatly increased between his freshman and sophomore years before he announced his decision to transfer.

At Syracuse, Griffin started all but one game, the Orange’s season opener against Bryant. He averaged 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and finished his brief Syracuse career with 372 points.

Prior to announcing his decision, head coach Jim Boeheim had criticized Griffin. According to the Daily Orange, Boeheim said other teammates played defense better than Griffin, and it was clear Boeheim and Griffin’s preferred styles of play did not mesh.

Griffin’s reported decision does not necessarily mean he can’t play at Syracuse next season. He and Guerrier could withdraw from draft eligibility for this year and return to the Orange next season.

Florida State Syracuse ACC Women's Tournament
Syracuse's Kiara Lewis runs the point around Florida State's Sayawni Lassiter in the quarterfinals of the Women's ACC Basketball Tournament, Friday, March 5, 2021 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Syracuse women’s basketball will see familiar faces in conference competition

The Syracuse women’s basketball team created a media storm when all but five players announced their decision to enter the transfer portal. Several of those players have already found a new home, with all of them taking advantage of the new inter-conference transfer guidelines.

Emily Engstler, the first to announce her decision to transfer, has agreed to play for Louisville. She was named the ACC’s Co-Sixth Player of the Year after leading Syracuse in steals and rebounds per game.

Kiara Lewis, who stepped up when Tiana Mangakahia was forced to sit out a season due to breast cancer treatments, will be transferring to Clemson in the fall. She led the Orange in points and minutes per game in both this season and last.

Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi has decided to play at Miami, while Taleah Washington has decided to continued her playing career at Old Dominion, the only non-conference school announced so far.