UC High Basketball Captain Dylan Griffin was dominant to start his senior season. The star forward averaged twenty points per game, thirteen rebounds per game, and three steals per game to lead the centurions to four wins through the first six games.
So far, the highest point of Griffin’s basketball career was last year, when he led the Centurions to a 26-9 record and a Division Two CIF Championship. “It was the golden age of UC basketball,” said Griffin.
One word to describe Griffin would be athletic. UC High Basketball Head Coach Alex Golland repeatedly mentioned the athletic abilities of Griffin. “His instincts and his athleticism allow him to impact the game on both sides of the court. Lots of players can impact the game on one side of the court, but the ability to make a huge imprint on both ends of the court is the mark of a great player,” said Golland.
The stats back up Golland’s claim. Griffin can contribute to all aspects of the game. During his junior season, he stuffed the stat sheet averaging 21 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, 3 steals per game, and 2 blocks per game (maxpreps.com).
Being the 2023-2024 Eastern League Player of the Year, he has big goals for his senior season. “I hope to average 25 points per game, 15 rebounds per game, and 5 assists per game,” said Griffin.
After the dominant 2023-2024 season, the Centurions will now play in the Western League against other San Diego powerhouse schools such as Cathedral Catholic High School and St. Augustine High School. “I am glad we are in a new League this year. We will get to compete with other top schools and have a chance to prove we belong as a top team. On top of that, winning player of the year in two different Leagues would be cool,” stated Griffin.
Griffin hopes that the team can reach the successes it did last year, but acknowledges it will be a challenge. He said, “We had six seniors graduate last year. We will need players like Jabril Abdullah and Tyshaun Harris to play bigger roles.”
Griffin’s great play doesn’t only help himself but also his teammates. Senior Jabril Abdullah stated, “He makes the game easier for all of us. The defense is concerned about Dylan scoring, which opens up opportunities for others.”
Being a former baseball player, Griffin had an unusual start to his basketball career. He stated, “I didn’t play until my freshman year of high school. I wanted to try a sport in which I could use my athleticism.”
Golland saw a bright future from early on. He stated, “He was a long and athletic kid who looked like he had a ton of potential but didn’t yet fully understand the game.”
Griffin’s path to success has not been easy. “The kids that I’m competing with had already been playing for years by the time I started playing, so I had to work a lot harder to catch up to the competition,” said Griffin.
Golland has seen his improvement firsthand. “Dylan’s maturity and sense of the moment has improved over the years. He has grown from a bench player into a star in the span of a little over a season,” stated Golland.
Griffin plans to continue his basketball career at the college level. He said, “I am talking to coaches from Chico State University, California State University, San Marcos, and California State University Fullerton.”
Griffin’s sentiment is shared by Golland. “He is slept on as a prospect. I would refuse to put any ceiling on what Dylan is capable of after he is done at UC,” stated Golland.
Griffin has turned quite a few heads over the past year. A local basketball recruiting source stated, “Griffin could be one of the biggest sleeper prospects in SoCal” (prephoops.com).