Texas Tech basketball: Big 10 transfer hears from Red Raiders

Another name for Texas Tech basketball fans to keep an eye on is Alan Griffin, a guard from Illinois who has entered the transfer portal.

Another day brings us another new name that the Texas Tech basketball team is pursuing through the transfer portal.  That would be Alan Griffin, a 6-foot-5 guard who has spent his entire career playing for Illinois of the Big 10.

It is important to keep in mind that the New York native is an undergraduate transfer having just completed his sophomore year.  He averaged 8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.6 assists for the Illini this season.

At 6-foot-5, 195-pounds he hast the size to play multiple positions and guard numerous players something that is a must to play for Chris Beard.  And according to FanSided’s Writing Illini, he had become an important member of the Illinois program this season.

"“As a sophomore, Griffin really started to blossom,” writes Rees Woodcock.  “He was such a big spark plug off the bench for the Illini. He was starting to play more than the actual starters despite him coming off the bench.”"

Woodcock goes on to suggest that Griffin’s desire to start could be a prime factor in his decision to transfer as his path to the starting five seems to be blocked at Illinois.  One has to wonder if he can find that type of assurance with the Red Raiders given how much talent there already is in the program and how much more is on the way.

Still, Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com says that Tech has reached out.  He also says that Creighton, Duke, Arizona State, Pittsburgh, and Marquette are among the programs that have also been in touch.

The Blue Devils seem to be a strong option in this recruiting battle given that Griffin’s younger brother A.J. is a 5-star player in the class of 2021 who has committed to Duke already.  Being as Griffin will likely have to sit out this season because of NCAA transfer rules, he could be setting up an opportunity to play with his brother in Durham.

We don’t know how interested the Red Raiders are in Griffin.  Certainly, some of the other names in the transfer portal that we’ve discussed in recent days have better stats but it never hurts for programs to do their due diligence.

That might be exactly what Beard and his staff is doing here but still, this could be a player that fits well into the Red Raiders’ system and it’s worth at least keeping an eye on how his recruitment shakes out.  After all, if there is a chance that a player could help the Red Raiders, we can almost guarantee that Chris Beard will be in the mix.