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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sophomore wing Alan Griffin announced his intention to enter the transfer portal via his personal Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.
— Alan Griffin (@alangriffin_) March 24, 2020
The news come as a bit of shock for Illini fans as Griffin played himself into the starting rotation in multiple games and picked up a large part of the scoring load down the stretch.
The Ossining, New York, native and former three-star prospect spent two season in Champaign and averaged 18 minutes, 8.9 points, and 4.5 rebounds per game while leading the team with a 41.6 shooting percentage behind the arc.
He posted a career-high 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting, including 6-of-8 from deep in a win at Northwestern on Feb. 27. Griffin likely would’ve seen an increased role in the rotation next season with Ayo Dosunmu potentially leaving for the NBA Draft, but it’s hard to say with transfer wings Austin Hutcherson and Jacob Grandison regaining their eligibility and top-30 recruit Adam Miller joining the program.
Illinois wing Alan Griffin will transfer, per his Twitter page. Was in position to potentially be a starter for the Illini next season.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 24, 2020
oof, that's not ideal for the illini. good luck to alan wherever he ends up. I was assuming he'd be a big part of next year's team. https://t.co/RxGqqKSUha
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) March 24, 2020
Griffin is the first Illinois Basketball player to announce their decision to leave the program this offseason.
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