Two years ago, Baylor Griffin made sure to bring his motor with him when he moved from Pennsylvania.
That motor has been running non-stop since the day he arrived in Naperville North. That also has been good news for the Huskies (13-10), who striving to close the regular season with momentum.
“He’s such a joy to coach and such a hard worker,” Huskies coach Jeff Powers said. “Every night out he’s working his tail off. He’s a monster.”
While he’s listed at 6-foot-3, Griffin plays much bigger than that, especially on the glass. He may not be able to outleap you, but he puts himself in position to get big rebounds time and time again.
“He just finds a way to get the ball. He works really hard and finds a way to get it,” senior Brian Dalton said. “He has really good instincts. We see it all the time. He knows which side it’s going to go off of and gets in position. Plus, he’s so strong and can push off a guy a little bit and get up.”
You can get lost in the speed of the game, but Griffin doesn’t. He’s developed a superb ability to read the ball in flight and anticipate where it’s going to go.”
“He’s a great rebounder, and he’s got a great knack of knowing where the ball is going to end up,” senior Zach Tuxhorn said. “He sees that and gets to where it’s going to land off the rim.”
Griffin moved to Naperville in March of 2013, so he was first introduced to Powers and Naperville North right after a season had concluded. It didn’t take him long to make an impact, though, for a 20-10 team that ended last season by winning eight of its last 10 games.
“I remember my dad telling me we were moving and I honestly thought my world was ending,” he said. “But I kept going and things took off right away when I got here. I met Powers and the team, went right into summer camp and made friends.”
Just about as quickly as he found comfort with a new address in the Midwest, Griffin has become one of the best players in the DuPage Valley Conference.
He’s always been able to rebound, defend and distribute, and has now found different ways to score. He’s scored 18 or more points in four of North’s last five victories.
“‘I always was one of the bigger kids growing up so I always was on the block and my game developed from the inside out,” he said. “Since freshman year I’ve been stepping back more with a jump shot. I don’t think my team relies on me to score, I just take the opportunities I get.”
And he’s relishing those opportunities, particularly since he’ll likely retire the high-tops to pick-up games and intramurals after this year.
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Griffin carries a 3.8 GPA and plans on studying business in college.
“I want to be on the business side of something I can relate to,” he said. “Something with sales for Nike golf or basketball. Something in business related to sports in some capacity.”
And while he’s away at college, perhaps his younger brother, McLean, will follow in his footsteps.
“He’s in eighth grade, really skinny, and he’s a shooter,” Griffin said. “He’s also a runner in track and he’s lightning fast.”
Sounds like another reliable Griffin with a supercharged motor.
Chris R. Walker is a freelance writer.