Zion Griffin Cuts List, Sets 4 Officials

Hinsdale South 2018 small forward Zion Griffin has narrowed his list down to a final four of Kansas, Illinois State, Iowa State, and Pitt. The dates on the visits are as follows: August 25                  Illinois State September 8             Iowa State September 15           Pitt September 29           Kansas He told us why these were his four and why he decided to do it now. “At first I was waiting to see if any new schools would come in with interest and after the Kansas offer I didn’t hear from anyone new.  I decided to look at the schools that already offered.  I cut it down to four because those are the four that have what I look for in a school.  There are a lot of things I look for in a school.  One is my relationship with the coaches.  My mom calls the coaches my second parent because she will not be there.  Once I leave I will be with them.  I have to make sure that relationship is strong.  I want to go to a program where I can play against the best every day.” Griffin broke down the four finalists. Illinois State “I think they are very genuine.  They kept it real and told me and my mom what it would be like from the time they started recruiting me.  They told me what I needed to hear and not what I wanted to hear.  My mom really liked that a lot.” Iowa State “Iowa State I have always liked the Big 12.  Iowa State has been one of my favorite teams.  I feel like they are a really good fit for me.” Pitt “Their coach doesn’t really offer over the phone and they like to offer face to face, but I couldn’t get out there for a visit so they did everything in their power to show me they wanted me and not just saying that they wanted me.” Kansas “Kansas is one of my biggest offers.  I like Kansas because I grew up watching Kansas and a lot of my favorite players are from there.  I feel like I can definitely see myself fitting in there with them offering me and wanting me on their team.  It is a dream come true.  It is one of my favorite colleges.” What will he be looking for on these visits to separate the schools from each other? “The atmosphere.  I am going to look for a place that I can see myself.  See if my first impressions were right.” He spoke with us about a timeline for a decision. “My deadline is the end of September, but if I take an official and feel like this is where I want to go I will commit right there on the spot.  If everything plays out I will commit at the end of the visits in September.” The Hoopers Basketball Club star says he will sign in November.  Griffin will move into the top 5 in the next updated PHI rankings after his monster summer.