Prospect Spotlight: Josh Griffin (2019)
Some may have forgotten about the talents of 2019 Orange Lutheran guard Josh Griffin.
The junior suffered a left wrist injury which sidelined him most of the spring and summer, limiting his opportunity to play on the club circuit and get exposure to college coaches.
Griffin, who returned to for fall league action with the Lancers in October, is out to prove that he belongs in the conversation as a top tier high school player and a next level prospect.
“The only thing that was hard was getting my conditioning back,” Griffin told Prep Hoops So-Cal about the rehabilitation process. “Once I got the cast off it felt good. I was constantly using that hand, on and off the court, to get the strength back. It came back even stronger.”
As far as the mental aspect of the injury went, the 6-foot-1 shooting guard noted that watching from the sidelines and not being able to help physically was difficult for him.
Orange Lutheran guard Josh Griffin is hoping to open some eyes and win some games this season.“The hardest part was not being able to be on the floor with my guys,” Griffin said. “I still trained and did leg stuff, but I helped my team out with stuff I saw from the bench. I grew in a leadership role.”
Griffin opened fall league play with a chip on his shoulder and used it to fuel his game, especially from the 3-point line and in his mid-range jumper.
“If I have the three-ball in my game, I needed the one-dribble pull-up,” he said. “My elevation is pretty good, I have strong legs, and not many players can hang in the air with me.”
Griffin is, in a way, working backwards with his development. Most of the time you see prospects his age lacking a jump shot, but dribbling the air out of the ball and out of the offense.
Griffin has the jumper, but knows he needs the handle to become a legitimate Division I caliber player.
“My biggest weaknesses are probably dribbling and ball handling,” he said. “If I add that to my game, it’s game over, basically.”
Orange Lutheran, as a whole, has a ton of good pieces to go along with Griffin. Cade Potter, Isaiah Pope and Trey Anderson are all juniors with another year under their belts.
The Lancers compete in the always-difficult Trinity League, which is dominated yearly by national powerhouse Mater Dei.
Griffin said in order to beat Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran can’t show any fear.
“We just can’t be scared that game,” Griffin said. “We have to treat them like any other team and not be scared or timid. We have to do what we do. We’re a fast and young team. We’re going to be good.”
Griffin mentioned that he has no college interest as of this point. You can expect that to change quickly.