The third Newport prospect to leave the KHSAA for a prep school, Starks is joining Ekezie Jr at Southeastern Prep. Starks is extremely young for the 2027 class and still has a lot of upside left to reach. The way he handles the basketball and moves for a player his height and age is hard to find. Starks has the frame and physical traits to be an impact defender as well. Starks has been recruited by high major programs already like Ohio State and Cincinnati.

While I didn’t get to see Newport against some of the top teams they played this weekend, I did see Starks against Taylor and he was absolutely dominant on both ends of the floor. Defensively is where Starks can be one of the top players in Kentucky with his quick feet on the perimeter and length, Starks had a handful of blocks and steals. Starks even forced a five second count on a Taylor guard by getting into the ball handlers chest and not letting him escape. Starks highlight of the day came when he had a pickpocket steal that led directly to a transition slam dunk. Few players at Starks size move like he does with the ball in his hands as he shows flashes of being a jumbo creator with the ball in his hands. For Starks to take that next step he’ll need to continue to show toughness and make shots consistently off the catch, those would be the two areas of focus heading into his junior season.

Starks has the most hype of any player in Kentucky’s 2027 class and has recently been invited to Team USA tryouts. Griffin had modest numbers at Newport last year but this summer could be the start of a breakout season for Starks. He’s got all the tools to be great!

One of the top Class of 2027 prospects in the state of Kentucky, Starks has really started to garner national attention and is now considered a four-star, Top 50 prospect. The 6’8″ left-handed forward was dominant around the basket consistently finishing with both hands and controlling the game defensively as well. Starks finished with 17 points in an 8:00 a.m. win for Wildcat Select 3SSB 16u.

One of the more talented athletes in Kentucky’s 2027 class, Starks is such a fluid mover for a prospect his size. With his height and length, Starks has the measurables to be an impact defender and Starks had a couple of blocks where he came from the help-side and protected the rim. As an interior scorer Starks had one nice dribble drive attack, a jump stop finish and used his size to catch a contest pass to finish above a shorter defender. For Starks, consistently being aggressive on both ends and playing through contact will be keys as he looks to take the next step in his game.

Starks is a prospect who buys into being a true four man and has no problem doing the dirty work on the interior. He was in spots on the floor to come up with easy rebounds. He uses his length on both ends of the floor. He also made others better with his passing finding teammates for scoring chances. Griffin plays with a good motor. Starks scored in a plethora of ways around the bucket. He was also able to score at the foul line. He continues to develop with experience. He is a prospect who will be flooded with high major recruitment in the next several months.

Starks, like Newport as a whole, had an up and down year this year. He’s got all the tools and great positional size but posted shooting splits of 49-30-59 so he has room to improve for sure. Like Jarvis, if Griffin can learn to love the weight room and add some bulk to his frame, he’s going to be a real problem for opposing schools in the 9th region.

Griffin passes every eye test imaginable. He looks the part of a top 100 recruit and shows flashes of big time potential. When his motor is running, Starks is right there with Ferlandes Wright Ferlandes Wright 6'8" | PF La Lumiere | 2027 #56 Nation IN at the top of this class. He’s tall and long and can shoot or finish at the rim. Lots to love with Griffin and you should expect to see his name more and more the next year.

For my money, Starks is the 2027 prospect with the highest upside in Kentucky. That was on display on Saturday with some high level flashes from Starks. A couple strong finishes at the rim, Starks prefers to attack and finish with his right hand. The lefty shooter also knocked down a couple jumpers, a top of the key 3-pointer was a big time shot in the second half. Few players at Starks size and age can move with the ball like he can and a steal that turned into an and-1 layup late showed his fluid movement skills and ability to play both ways. Starks is also appearing to find more consistency with his performances this season, another step in the right direction for his development.

Our Ohio scout Mike Roth thinks Griffin is the number one or two player in Kentucky’s 2027 class but I can’t get there with him just yet. Starks passes the eye test with his size and mobility but I’ve never gotten to see him be dominant on the court. At Newport, he’s the fifth offensive option and in AAU he plays in New Jersey so we don’t see him in Kentucky. Definitely looking forward to seeing Griffin more this season and gauging his progress.