One of Alabama’s top remaining Transfer Portal targets just committed elsewhere

Griffen visited Alabama last week and had seemed likely to land in Tuscaloosa for a while now. That seemed increasingly likely following Cedric Coward’s decision to commit to Duke over Alabama. Instead, Griffen and Oats could not work things out and now the talented 6-foot-6 wing will take his talents to College Station instead.

Make no mistake about it. This was as much Oats’s decision as it was Griffen’s. Alabama did not “miss” on Griffen. He did not choose Texas A&M over Alabama. He chose the Aggies because he didn’t get what he wanted from Oats and the Crimson Tide.

Griffen had an outstanding sophomore season for the Crimson Tide in 2023-24. He averaged 11.2 points per game and shot 39% from three-point range. He was an integral part of Alabama’s Final Four team. His decision to enter the Transfer Portal last year was a disappointment.

Griffen struggled in his season at Kansas. His numbers went down across the board, and he averaged just 6.3 points per game while shooting 33.6% from the floor. Still, he seemed likely to return to form at Alabama in a familiar system and would have been a helpful player.