Sooners land combo forward
Oklahoma Christian combo forward Taylor Griffin made his college choice Monday when he chose the Oklahoma Sooners over offers from Charlotte, Washington State and Penn State.
“I called Coach (Kelvin) Sampson tonight and told him I was committing to Oklahoma,” Griffin said. “Over the last couple of days my parents and I have talked and we felt it was the best all-around opportunity for me. I feel really good about the commitment. I wanted to be a Sooner.”
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Griffin, 6-foot-6, 225-pounds, indicated that the opportunity to play for Kelvin Sampson was just too good to pass up.
“I really like Coach Sampson a lot and respect him as a coach and person,” Griffin said. “I love his style of play and feel that it fits me best as a combo forward. Also, he does a great job of getting the most out of his players and making them better throughout their career.”
Two weeks ago Griffin, who is rated the nation’s 34th best power forward by Rivals.com, took a visit to Oklahoma and the Sooners grabbed a commanding lead for his signature.
“When I went down August 4th it was really a great trip and I knew I was probably going to commit there,” Griffin said. “The have a good basketball tradition and are usually in the NCAA tournament and I want to be able to compete for a national championship.
“The campus was extremely nice and I had a good time with the players and coaches. They all treated me great and showed me a nice time, they let me know that they wanted me to be part of their program.
“The campus itself is beautiful and they have a strong medical school and I plan to be an orthopedic surgeon after basketball so that was just an added bonus.”
Last season Griffin averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists while leading Oklahoma Christian to a state championship.