Rylan Griffen

Rylan Griffen is a former top-50 recruit who played consistent minutes off the bench at Alabama as a freshman before being inserted into the starting line-up as a sophomore. Offensively, he was used primarily as a floor-spacer, attempting nearly two-thirds of his total shots from behind the arc, and converting 39% of them, after making just 30% of his threes a year earlier. Griffen ranked in the 90th percentile in the country as a spot-up shooter per Synergy Sports, and thus had a lot of gravity when stretching the floor to the corners. He showed some flashes of being a movement shooter, albeit in much less volume, and despite a relatively unorthodox release, and was also the type of shooter who could get hot in a hurry.

After posting a negative assist-to-turnover ratio as a freshman, Griffen made strides with his decision making this year as well. He posted a solid 11% assist rate, largely from stationary positions when he hit cutters or operated in pre-determined actions. He was also capable of attacking a bad close-out, although not an especially advanced handler, and thus rarely utilized as a playmaker or initial domino in Alabama’s offense. At the rim, Griffen made a respectable 78% of his attempts, but lacked a variety of finishes when met with resistance or forced to improvise.

Griffen has solid positional size at a listed 6-foot-6, with long arms to match. He’s also a solid functional athlete who has the instincts and potential to be a good defender, although he had some lapses on that end of the floor this year. Overall, he fits a 3-and-D prototype on the wing that is a coveted one in today’s game.

A scoring guard whose game is predicated upon upside, Griffen will be as good as he wants to be in the game of basketball. He has the tools to evolve into a high-level defender and the upside to be a tough shot maker who can put the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. Griffin can score from all three-levels on the floor and is a solid shooter but he could still use some improvement in that area of the game. Improving his shot selection at times could enhance his development in that area and increase his overall field goal percentages. He has solid length combined with elite bounce. If given a path to the rim, he is bound to make something special happen above the rim that is highlight worthy. A very thin and slight framed swingman, adding weight and muscle will be key in Griffen's production at the high major level. Overall, Griffen is an extremely talented prospect. His ceiling will be determined by him getting physically and functionally stronger and remaining engaged in all areas that impact winning.