SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -- Less than a week after losing Tommy
Amaker to Michigan, Seton Hall lost Eddie Griffin to the NBA.
The shot-blocking power forward who was the Big East Conference
rookie of the year announced Tuesday that he was leaving college to
enter the NBA draft.
"I didn't want to be a one-and-done kind of guy," Griffin said
in a telephone conference call. "I wanted to play at least two
years, but I did better than I thought I was going to do."
Amaker's decision to leave Seton Hall after four seasons didn't
influence Griffin.
"He made the decision that was best for him and I made the
decision that was best for me, Griffin said.
The recent death of Griffin's older half brother, Marvin Powell,
also didn't sway Griffin, although he said he intends to give
financial assistance to his brother's wife and three children.
"I think he would have wanted me to go back to school and
finish," the Philadelphia resident said of his late brother.
Griffin said his play this past season, realizing a dream of
playing in the NBA and his belief that he will be a lottery pick
were the deciding factors in making his decision a couple of days
ago.
"I thought I was going to come into the college game and not be
able to block shots and rebound like I did in high school,"
Griffin said.
He was wrong.
Griffin led the nation in blocked shots with 4.5 a game. He
led the Pirates, averaging 17.8 points and 10.8 rebounds, which
ranked him fifth in the nation. Griffin set a team single-season
record with 133 blocks in 31 games.
"Last year I told you before I come out I wanted to know that I
was ready," Griffin said. "I feel I'm ready now."
Griffin said his mother, Queen, wanted him to stay in college.
He has decided not to return to class this semester. Griffin is
looking to hire an agent, a move that would prevent him from
returning to college if he was not drafted.
Surprisingly, Griffin said he has not talked to anyone to
determine how high he might go in the NBA draft. He said he has
read in newspapers that he will be a lottery pick, and he seems to
believe that's what will happen.
Griffin arrived at Seton Hall as part of one of the nation's top
recruiting classes, joining fellow freshman Andre Barrett and
Marcus Toney-El. The Pirates had reached the round of 16 in the
NCAA tournament the previous season, and there was much
anticipation about how far they would go this season.
Seton Hall was ranked as high as No. 7 early in the season, but
the Pirates seemed to fall apart shortly after Griffin was
suspended for punching junior guard Ty Shine following a defeat at
Georgetown.
Griffin also had a run-in with a fellow student in his senior
year at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia.
Seton Hall didn't qualify for the Big East tournament until it
beat Connecticut in the final regular-season game. The Pirates
reached the conference tournament semifinals before losing. The
season ended with a 16-15 record after a first-round defeat against Alabama in the NIT.
"As far as Seton Hall, we didn't have a good year and it's kind
of tough to leave on that note, but this is the best thing for
me." Griffin said. "I have to do it."
Griffin is the first Seton Hall player to forgo his final years
of eligibility since Luther Wright entered the NBA draft in 1993
after his sophomore season.
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ALSO SEE
Early NBA draft entries
Orr goes to work convincing Hall players to stay
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