Duke Freshman AJ Griffin Will Enter 2022 NBA Draft

The prolific scoring wing will forgo his final three seasons of college eligibility.

Duke freshman AJ Griffin will enter the NBA draft and hire an agent, ending his collegiate career with the Blue Devils, the school announced on Sunday.

“AJ was one of the best shooters in the nation and his skillset is exactly what NBA teams are looking for,” former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement on Sunday. “He is a remarkable young man that comes from a beautiful family and we’re certainly going to miss them. AJ showed up every day with a smile on his face and his positive energy was infectious. We appreciate everything that he did for our program and know that great things will happen for him.” 

Griffin is one of several Duke players to announce their future plans over the last week. Future lottery pick Paolo Banchero announced that he would leave for the NBA, as did center Mark Williams and forward Trevor Keels. Point guard Jeremy Roach announced on Friday that he would return to school, bolstering the Blue Devils backcourt for new coach Jon Scheyer next season.

In his lone season at Duke, Griffin emerged as a key scoring option for the Blue Devils on the wing, as he averaged 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game on 49.3% shooting from the floor. Griffin was especially effective from three, where he shot 44.7% from beyond-the-arc on nearly five attempts per game.

Griffin is projected to be a lottery pick in Jeremy Woo’s latest mock draft for Sports Illustrated.

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