What to know about Duke basketball forward AJ Griffin ahead of NBA Draft

Duke basketball forward AJ Griffin displays all the fundamentals needed to contribute on the largest basketball stage. The 6-foot-6 playmaker has analysts seeing how he would fit into an NBA roster.

He is projected to be drafted in the top 15 in Thursday's NBA Draft. Some teams identified via mock drafts to pick the 3-point sniper include the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

Here are three things to know about AJ Griffin heading into the NBA Draft on June 23, 2022.

His father, Adrian Griffin, is a Toronto Raptors assistant and former Seton Hall basketball star

Adrian Griffin played basketball at Seton Hall from 1992-1996. He started three out of four seasons and finished his last season by averaging 16.2 points, 3.1 assists and 8.3 rebounds. Griffin was inducted into Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.

After declaring for the draft in 1996, Adrian Griffin went undrafted. Three years later, the Boston Celtics made his dreams come true.

The former Seton Hall star played for five NBA teams, including the Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls. At the beginning of the 2018-2019 season, Adrian Griffin was hired by the Raptors to be an assistant head coach after previously holding the position at various teams including the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic.

Aubrey Griffin, AJ Griffin’s sister, is a junior guard at UConn.

Before joining UConn’s women’s basketball dynasty, Aubrey Griffin was a 2019 McDonald’s All-American. She was ranked No. 6 in her position and No. 33 in the overall 2019 recruiting class by ESPN.

During Aubrey Griffin’s first year at UConn, she scored her first double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds against her father’s alma mater Seton Hall.

In her second season at UConn, her playing time increased. Her first career start occurred in a match-up against Butler. Aubrey Griffin posted 17 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulldogs. She did not participate in her junior season due a back injury.

Their oldest brother, Alan Griffin, played basketball at Illinois and Syracuse. Their mother, Audrey Sterling, was a track All-American at Seton Hall.

AJ Griffin sat front row to Coach K’s final ride

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski stepped on the court in this position for the last time during the 2022 Men’s Final Four in New Orleans.

Although his coaching career ended on a sour note after being defeated by Duke’s rival University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (81-77), Krzyzewski still has accolades any collegiate coach would wish for. Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils to 12 Final Four appearances, five NCAA Tournament titles and 15 ACC Tournament titles.

While with Krzyzewski, AJ Griffin started 25 out of Duke’s 39 games, averaging 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds. He also played a major role during the 2022 NCAA Tournament. During the Sweet 16, he scored 11 points and seven rebounds in a win over Texas Tech. He led the Blue Devils in scoring in a win Arkansas in the Elite Eight.

Alexis Davis is a sports reporting intern for the Memphis Commerical Appeal. Contact her at alexis.davis@commericalappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What to know about Duke basketball forward AJ Griffin ahead of NBA Draft