Yesterday I started my look into the new players on the UConn roster with a write-up on Evelyn Adebayo. It's time to take a look at the only American high school freshman on the team, Aubrey Griffin, a 6'1" guard from Ossining High School. If that school sounds familiar, UConn has recruited couple of players, Saniya Chong and Andra Espinoza Hunter who transferred out after her freshman season.
Griffin is an athletic freak with a ton of potential. Initially ranked 33rd by ESPN, Aubrey was ranked 21st at the end of the season. She was also a McD's All-American.
Aubrey comes by her talent honestly. It's in her blood! Her father Adrian Griffin, Sr., was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and played Division I basketball at Seton Hall University from 1992 to 1996.
In four years with the Pirates, he scored 1,414 points and had 803 rebounds, and helped them make two NCAA Tournament appearances and a Big East Tournament championship in his freshman season in 1992-93. As a senior in 1995-96, he averaged 19.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, which helped him garned All-Big East second team honors. I remember him beating up on the UConn men's basketball team several times!
Adrian Griffin, Sr. during his college years at Seton Hall
Following his collegiate years, he went undrafted in the 1996 NBA Draft and played in the CBA and overseas in Italy, before getting a chance to play in the NBA for the Boston Celtics in 1999. Griffin would go on to have a ten-year career, in which he played for five teams, including two separate stints with the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls.
Since retiring from the League in 2008, Griffin, Sr., has been an assistant coach for four teams, such as the Bulls, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Orlando Magic and presently, the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has also gotten the chance to coach superstars such as Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook.
Clearly the athletic ability and basketball knowledge was passed down to his two sons and his daughter.
Long and lean, when she is on offense, it's always attack, attack and attack. She loves driving to the basket, using her length and quickness to explode past her defenders. Included in her arsenal is a sweet pull up jumper and she also has range on her shot all the way out to the arc.
Here are a few videos for your enjoyment.
Aubrey had 31 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists along with 3 blocks in this game!!!
I don't pretend to know how she will adjust to the college game and the tough love of Geno. Most freshmen take time to get into the flow at UConn. I'm sure she will be no different. But players to can impact the game based on overwhelming athleticism will find a way to get minutes. Can't wait to see her play in a UConn uniform!!
So much has happened in the off season and I haven't had a chance to talk about it here. UConn moving to the Big East for both men's and women's basketball is a HUGE event! I'm SO excited about this and wish it was this season.
For the men, it's even a bigger impact than the women. The rivalries in the men's side of the Big East with Georgetown, Villanova and St. John's will be great to see renewed, and playing the BE tournament in the Garden will be awesome.
On the women's side, it's more about playing better teams. That impact is two-fold.
- UConn's RPI will improve along with the improved SOS. This will help the Huskies with their seeding. This past season, the in-conference schedule was one of the reasons UConn received a 2 seed and not a 1 seed.
- Playing better teams helps the team prepare better for the tournament. With the incoming talent that UConn has for 2020, I'm still pretty confident of running the table in the Big East, but the overall talent is better in this conference and the games should be closer. And UConn's presence will improve the recruiting of the other teams making them stronger year by year.
I do like the games against DePaul and having those twice a season is a plus. And last season the BE was the 6th rated conference just outside the Power-5 schools. With UConn, they could crack the top 5. Now wouldn't it be a kick to see the Big East rated higher than the SEC? Now, that would be funny!
One more season in the American. Hopefully UConn will leave after another undefeated conference season.
better teams. i dont agree same to me... every team in the big east has a crazy losing record against uconn.. just like the AAC geno even said as must
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