'23 No. 15 Gavin Griffiths goes in-depth on Michigan, UConn, other visits
Gavin Griffiths is now the No. 15 ranked player in On3’s 2023 class. The 6-foot-7 wing at West Hartford (CT) Kingswood-Oxford School averaged over 25 points per game this season, shooting better than 40-percent from three.
“The best thing I do is shoot,” Griffiths told On3. “Pretty much anything on the floor, rebound, drive, pass, I do. My main focus this season has been defensively. My handle is getting tighter, and I’m getting to my spots. I watch taller guards who can shoot like Klay Thompson, some Jaylen Brown.”
After his summer with the Expressions program on Nike’s 16u EYBL circuit, college coaches prioritized him. Gavin Griffiths spoke exclusively with On3 about which schools he hears from the most and his visit schedule.
“Right now, I know it is in season for most schools,” Griffiths said, “but I hear a lot from Providence, Rutgers, UConn, Creighton, Baylor, and Michigan probably the most. I have taken three unofficial visits, Providence, Rutgers, and UConn, and I visited Iowa officially in October.”
Griffiths talks recruitment
Iowa: “I am a big college basketball fan, so I have known about Iowa and Coach (Fran) McCaffery and how they play. I have watched them a lot over the past few years and their offense and how well they move the ball. Being on campus, you can see with their practices, there is a reason why they are as good as they are. I went to a football game, it was my first college football game, and that atmosphere was crazy. The facilities were impressive.”
UConn: “I was at the UConn and Rutgers game this weekend, it was my first time at Gampel, and it was their senior night. It was a great atmosphere. It is forty minutes away, so playing for my hometown would be pretty cool. They think their style fits how I play, the uptempo. Coach (Danny) Hurley says he is a defensive-oriented coach, and he thinks he can work with me on that and get me ready moving forward.”
Rutgers: “I have been to Rutgers a couple of times. I went in the fall, and then I went to their last game. The Rack is one of the smaller gyms I have been to, but the atmosphere is great. They pack them in there, and it just gets crazy there. They have a brand new training facility for basketball that is nice as well.”
Providence: “Their training facilities are brand new, super nice. I have a great relationship with Coach (Ed) Cooley and Coach (Ivan) Thomas.”
Upcoming visits
“Baylor, Michigan, and Creighton, the schools that are further away for me, are the ones I am going to look to set up official visits with probably,” Griffiths said.
Baylor: “They just won the national championship. They are becoming one of the premier programs in the country.”
Michigan: “The history behind their program. I am a college basketball fan, so I have watched them growing up.”
Creighton: “Their game-style really fits how I play.”
Griffiths’ take
“I’ll probably start to narrow things down toward the travel ball season and look to commit maybe after Peach Jam, maybe September or October,” Griffiths said. “I’m going to be looking for a good play-style, one that shoots a lot of threes and plays up-tempo. I will look at the relationship with the coach, someone that I get along with, and a personal relationship with me. Just somewhere I feel like I fit in.”
On3’s take
Gavin Griffiths has good size and plays the game with a mean streak. He is a pure shooter with confidence and deep range. The 6-foot-7 wing has good length and is a good positional rebounder. He can push the break in the open floor. He needs to continue working on his lateral quickness, but understands angles and gives great effort on defense. Griffiths moves well off the ball, understanding angles and where his spots are. He attacks closeouts well scores in the mid-range.