He was brought in to fill the shoes of Elijah Hughes, but Alan Griffin has taken that a step further.

Even his hair is Elijah-esque.

Through his first five games in a Syracuse uniform, Griffin has virtually matched Hughes in scoring (18.4, to 19.0 for Hughes), and exceeded Elijah in both rebounding (7.8, to Hughes' 5.0) and three-point percentage (.450, to Hughes' .341). All of those numbers are up dramatically from last season, his sophomore year at Illinois, but Griffin said he's far from satisfied.

"I feel like I still have more to do, that's just who I am," said Griffin, who averaged just 8.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last year while coming off the bench. "But I feel like those expectations of me are being met."

 

What You Need To Know


  • Syracuse forward Alan Griffin ranks second on the team in scoring (18.4) and rebounding (7.8) through the first five games

  • Griffin transferred to SU after starting just three games in two seasons at Illinois

  • The 20-year old grew up idolizing Carmelo Anthony and watching Syracuse basketball from his hometown of Ossining

  • Griffin and the Orange host Northeastern in a matinee game Wednesday at 3pm

 

Granted, it's very early in the season, and the Orange haven't yet dipped their toes into the deep end of the ACC pool, but Griffin's start is encouraging because of how consistent he's been. Alan has led his team in scoring in each of the last three games. He's made at least two three-pointers in every outing, and three times he's hit four or more from long range.

Shooting the ball has always been a strong suit for Griffin, and it basically defined his role the last two seasons off the Fighting Illini bench. He started only two games last season and still finished second on the team in three-pointers (47), a number he is on pace to shatter this year. But, the 20-year old said he's also eager to show he's a more well-rounded player than that.

"I feel like every shot I took last year was a three," Griffin said. "It's something I still do, it's just adding onto my game, being able to show I can just, do more than shoot the ball. I can impact the game."

The 20-year old received a transfer waiver from the NCAA in August to play immediately and avoid sitting out this season, and it's paying immediate dividends for both Alan and the Orange (4-1). Good teams need at least three scoring options, and the addition of Griffin gives Syracuse as many as five, with Boeheim, Girard, Guerrier, and Dolezaj all also capable of leading the way.

With his playing time nearly doubling that of last season, and his four starts at Syracuse surpassing by one the total of his first two seasons at Illinois, Griffin said now he's learning to be more patient, and not have to force the issue.

"I don't have to rush anything here," he said.

And that's only part of the reason Griffin has seemed to settle in so quickly at his new college home. The Ossining native said it's also "fun" to be back in his home state, closer to his family, including his father, Adrian, a former NBA player now working as an assistant for the Toronto Raptors.

Wearing the Orange of Syracuse, instead of Illinois, is also something that brings Griffin back to his childhood. He said SU didn't start recruiting him until the end of his senior year, when it was a little too late. But joining the program he grew up watching late in his college career, he adds, is better than never.

"It means a lot to put on a 'Cuse jersey," said Griffin. "When 'Melo was here, that's a team that I always looked at. G-Mac was also on that team. It's cool to see that former players are now coaches, you can take in a lot from them."