Play It Again Sports in Griffin
NEW ORLEANS — Trevor Keels remembers the moment he first saw fellow freshman A.J. Griffin in his truest form.
It just so happened to be against North Carolina — the historic nemisis Duke will face Saturday at the Final Four in the Louisiana Superdome.
But this moment took place nearly two months before, back when Griffin's star was just beginning to rise after a right knee injury had slowed his progress within the Blue Devils' offense.
Facing the Tar Heels in Mike Krzyzewski's final game at the Dean Dome, the 6-foot-6 forward from White Plains, New York caught fire, scoring a career-high 27 points on 11 of 17 shooting. Griffin stole the spotlight from Coach K in the second half with a towering left-handed dunk that punctuated his own 10-0 run.
The normally reserved Griffin let out a loud roar and flexed his muscles towards a television camera pointed his way. It was a cathartic yell after years of frustrations caused from injuries that cost him his entire senior season at Archbishop Stepinac and most of his junior year.
"A.J. came in not really talking a lot, he would always laugh with us, but was pretty shy. But when he made that dunk and started yelling at the camera, we had never seen him do that," Keels said Friday. "We were all shocked. Every since then, he started talking a lot. You could see something change. He started to be more comfortable."
For Griffin, the dunk was a reminder of his five-star talent and the reason Duke had stuck with despite his many injuries.
"That game reminded me of what I could do," Griffin said.
His breakout game also allowed him to relax more around his teammates. He started making more jokes, showing off his dance moves in the locker room and even started a bible study that players regularly attend.
"It takes me awhile to warm up to people, that's just kind of my personality," Griffin said. "It made it easier to have fun when I was playing better."
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The Blue Devils went on to win seven of their next eight games with Griffin scoring in double-digits during every victory. Duke is 21-2 this season when he's scored 10 points or more and his 3-point shooting percentage (45.8%) is one of the best in the nation. He's expected to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft along with Paoloe Banchero, sophomore center Mark Williams and possibly Keels.
He's still had his ups and down and at times disappears from the offense. He finished with five points on 2 of 5 shooting in the March 5 loss to UNC in Coach K's final game at Cameron and was held to four points in an ACC Tournament opening round win against Syracuse. Against Arkansas in the Elite Eight, though, he made 7 of 9 shots for 18 points during Duke's 78-69 win.
Krzyzewski has spent much of the season applauding Griffin's work ethic and his vast improvement despite his physical setbacks. Through that, a real respect has formed.
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Coach K shared a private moment with Griffin before Friday's open practice, lightly clutching Griffin's right arm while whispering what appeared to be a joke in the freshman's ear as the two stood near the sideline of the raised Superdome court.
Griffin turned to him and laughed with a full smile; his body language softened as the Hall of Fame coach offered some much-needed levity on the eve of arguably the biggest game of either of their careers.
We may never know what was said between the two, but Coach K's feelings toward Griffin, a player that encapsulates the major highs and lows of a final season nearing its conclusion, were on full display.
"He's pure and genuine." Krzyzewski said Friday. "He has a smile on his face all the time and he has a beautiful heart. He's very unique."
David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.
Source: https://www.fayobserver.com/story/sports/2022/04/02/duke-aj-griffin-unc-final-four-game-new-heights/7248183001/
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