Recruiting: Top state prep prospect opts for Sooners
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
5/16/2006
Griffin's verbal commitment bolsters new coach's future.
NORMAN -- The plan was for Blake Griffin to be in Lawrence, Kan., last weekend, to play a little AAU basketball inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Instead, the most sought-after high school player in Oklahoma for the class of 2007, decided to rest his aching knee and hang out over at Lloyd Noble Center.
Kansas' loss turned out to be OU's gain.
Saturday evening, Griffin shunned scholarship offers from the Kansas, Oklahoma State, Michigan State and Illinois, plus interest from Duke, North Carolina, Connecticut and Kentucky, and verbally committed to the Sooners.
"I really didn't plan on (committing)," said Griffin, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound senior-to-be at Oklahoma Christian School rated the No. 4 prep power forward nationally by Rivals. "But I felt like that was the place for me, and so did my family.
"It's a statement, a signature commitment that will hopefully get the ball rolling for (OU coach) Jeff Capel," said Jerry Meyer, Rivals' national recruiting analyst. "It gives him a five-star recruit on the heels of losing a lot of the guys from (Kelvin) Sampson's class."
When Sampson left for Indiana last
month, the Sooners lost 2006 signees Scottie Reynolds, Damion James and Jeremy Mayfield.
While Capel scrambles to reshape his '06 class, Griffin's commitment, along with that of Elk City guard Cade Davis two weeks ago, gives OU's new coach a running start for '07.
It also must give Capel some satisfaction knowing he finished what Sampson started.
"The first person to notice Blake last year was Coach Sampson," said Tommy Griffin, Blake's father and coach at Oklahoma Christian School. "Last spring, he said, 'Blake, I'm going to offer you (a scholarship) right now, because I know you're going to blow up next year.' And he was right."
Griffin had an eye-opening AAU summer circuit, then averaged 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as a junior on Oklahoma Christian School's third straight state championship team. That drew some major college attention.
Last April, Griffin showcased a well-rounded, hard-nosed style of play at national AAU tournaments in Houston and Hampton, Va. His stock soared, and coaches flocked.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski called and told Griffin he reminded him of Shelden Williams. Florida coach Billy Donovan joined the recruiting race. So did Kentucky coach Tubby Smith and Texas coach Rick Barnes. Bill Self of Kansas, OSU's Sean Sutton, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and Illinois' Bruce Weber entered a long time ago.
In the end, however, the Sooners held the trump card.
Capel.
"He charmed the basketball shorts off of Blake," Tommy Griffin said. And Taylor Griffin, the Sooners' forward and Blake's older brother.
"I talked to him quite a bit the past couple weeks. He had a pretty big influence on me," Blake said. "I trust him completely, and he thought (OU) would be a great place for me to go.
"We talked about Coach Capel and what they were doing. (Taylor) loves working with him and Coach (Mark) Cline. Every body's so excited.
"(Taylor) thinks they're in for a good season next year with or without those recruits."
It should be even better the season after next. By then, the Sooners will have weathered the Reynolds-James-Mayfield storm, with the Griffins playing together.
It's something everyone started thinking about last Saturday night.
"When I called and got the news, Blake and his brother were having dinner at Chili's," Tommy Griffin said. "They were celebrating."
Guerin Emig 581-8355
[email protected].