Mark Pope is just a piece or two away from completing his second Kentucky roster.
There’s a clear need for another shooter in the backcourt, and one with three years of high-major experience is on the radar. Kansas transfer Rylan Griffen has been in contact with the Wildcats and will make a trip to Lexington on Tuesday, reports On3’s Joe Tipton. A former top 50 high school recruit, the 6-foot-6 native of Texas began his career at Alabama for two seasons before making the jump to the Jayhawks.
On3 ranks Griffen as the 90th-best prospect (and 21st-best shooting guard) to enter the portal this offseason. He averaged 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per outing in 2024-25 at Kansas. Across his three college seasons, Griffen is a career 34.9 percent three-point shooter on 4.2 attempts per contest.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Kentucky portal target.
Starting on a Final Four team
Out of Richardson (TX) High School, where he was teammates with former Kentucky guard Cason Wallace, Griffen was ranked No. 44 overall by the On3 Industry Ranking. He committed to Alabama over the likes of Kansas, Oklahoma State, Georgia, and Kansas State, among others. Next to Wallace, the two led Richardson to the nation’s top-ranked public school in the country.
As a true freshman in 2022-23, Griffen came off the bench but was a steady contributor in his limited role. He appeared in all 37 games for Alabama, posting per-game averages of 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds on shooting splits of 36.5/30.1/73.3. Griffen struggled with his consistency, but flashed potential during a five-game stretch in SEC play that saw him score 12 or more points in four of those games. Notably, he went for nine points and four rebounds in the SEC Tournament championship victory over Texas A&M. He had five games with at least three or more made three-pointers throughout the season.
Going into his sophomore season (2023-24), Griffen became a necessary piece in Alabama’s run to the Final Four. He started 33 of 36 games played and saw his numbers improve across the board. Griffen averaged 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 26.3 minutes per outing for the Crimson Tide. His shooting numbers soared: 45.4 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from deep (5.3 attempts per game), and 81 percent from the free throw line.
Griffen’s career-high actually came on the road against Kentucky, a 21-point outing on 6-13 shooting. He went for 19 points in the Sweet 16 against North Carolina before posting 13 points and a career-best eight assists in the Elite 8 win over Clemson. Griffen had 11 games with at least three made triples. He also made the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He hit the portal after the season ended and was considered a top 25 transfer prospect by On3 before landing at Kansas.
An underwhelming season at Kansas
Much like the entire Kansas team, 2024-25 didn’t go the way Griffen would have hoped. The Jayhawks struggled for most of the season, finishing 21-13 (11-9 Big 12) before losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005-06. Griffen was off and on as a starter throughout the season. He had his moments — a 17-point, seven-rebound performance in double-overtime vs. Houston chief among them — but team-wide struggles bled throughout the roster.
Kansas’ crowded frontcourt and minimal spacing made life difficult for Griffen to play his game on the perimeter. He is one of five Kansas players to leave the program through the portal so far this offseason. But Griffen proved he can thrive at this level with his sophomore campaign at Alabama. That’s the player his next team will be hoping to land. There’s some familiarity between the offense Nate Oats runs at Bama to what Mark Pope runs at Kentucky.
Advanced Stat Profile: Rylan Griffen
Griffen possesses good size and athleticism for his position. He’s capable of putting the ball on the floor and making a play around the rim, but his bread and butter is as a shooter. Of his 676 career field goal attempts, 447 of them (66.1 percent) have come from beyond the arc. With a quick release on his jumper, Griffen can fire from anywhere beyond the arc. He’s dangerous coming off screens.
Let’s focus on some stats from his sophomore season in 2023-24 — the version of Griffen Kentucky will hope to bring in if he ends up committing to the Wildcats.
| 2023-24 Stat (Alabama) | Final | Ranking |
| Catch and Shoot | 58 Effective Field Goal % | 84th Percentile Nationally |
| Spot Up | 1.19 Points Per Possession | 87th Percentile Nationally |
| Dribble Handoffs | 1.29 Points Per Possession | 91st Percentile Nationally |
| Off-Ball Screens | 1.29 Points Per Possession | 87th Percentile Nationally |
| True Shooting % | 61.2 | 131st Nationally |
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