Zion Griffin to Iowa State
The biggest name to commit yet in the state of Illinois just went down! Hinsdale South 2018 small forward Zion Griffin tells PrepHoopsIllinois he has made his commitment to Iowa State. Why were the Cyclones his choice?
“Made me feel like a priority from the beginning to now. I just fell in love with everything when I went there and I love everything about it.”
His relationship with the coaching staff played a huge part in the decision.
“I look at them like my parents when my actual parents aren’t around. They check up on me and that speaks for itself and a lot of people. When I was down on the visit everybody made me feel welcomed. Definitely the coaching staff and the support system I want to be under.”
How does his game fit in with the Cyclones?
“My versatility in my eyes will help a lot because it will free up a lot of things and coach knows what he’s doing. I trust him and I’m looking forward to see how we turn out.”
Griffin saw his game elevate significantly over the spring and summer to where he became the #3 prospect in the state of Illinois in the 2018 class. He is a 6”6” explosive and athletic left handed small forward that went from no D1 offers in the early spring to have high-majors knocking down his door in July. He played well in the spring, but took it to a whole different level with Hoopers Basketball Club in July. He went off the last two weeks of the live period in Kansas City. Griffin posted monster games against multiple EYBL teams and created quite the buzz. He followed it up again at the Sunflower Showcase to close out July putting on a show in front of a huge group of coaches.
What does he bring to the table as a prospect? Griffin has a great build at 6’6” with strength in his upper body, but he isn’t bulky. This allows him to finish through contact at the rim. During July you could see his ball handling especially in the half court had improved greatly. He is a big time slasher that once he finds a crease and gets a head of steam going to the basket is impossible to stop. He throws down thunderous slams. Plays excellent in the transition game. Big time athlete that catches alley-oops and can handle it in the open floor. Three point shot was streaky early in the spring, but became much more consistent as time went along. We believe he will be a sound shooter at the college level. Rebounds well for his position snatching them with two hands. He contributes defensively coming from the weak side for blocked shots.
He had narrowed his list down to Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas, and Pitt. The senior took a pair of official visits to Illinois State and Iowa State before making his decision. Griffin is a top 100 prospect nationally and saw his ranking boost in the last three editions of the PrepHoopIllinois state rankings. He currently sets at #3 overall and the #2 small forward in the 2018 class.