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Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Is the Gordon-Griffin comparison fair?


Lots has been made lately about the jaw-dropping dunk show 2013 forward Aaron Gordon (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) put on at the Spalding Hoop Hall Classic, adding more fuel to the fire when it comes to the Blake Griffin comparisons. But are they justified?

Few people out there can offer more perspective on this than Recruiting Nation's Dave Telep, who tackled this very question late last week. He left no stone unturned in his analysis, breaking down Gordon and Griffin skill by skill (see box).
Gordon vs. Griffin: How they stack up as prep athletes


As far as recruiting goes, Pac-12 powers Washington and Arizona are currently thought to have the inside track with Gordon, ahead of Kentucky. Wherever Gordon ends up playing his college ball, he has the makeup of a guy who can make a huge impact from day one.

Here's Telep with more.

Dave Telep
Gordon resembles Griffin to a 'T' as a high school prospect
"These guys are a lot alike. Believe me, it’s difficult to imagine a better leaper than Griffin, but Gordon is pretty special. Sitting courtside last Monday, the volume of Gordon’s dunks was astounding to me. It was loud. During the game, some people tweeted at me that Griffin is “just an athlete” or “doesn’t have much skill.” Hello! Playing hard is absolutely a skill. In fact, it’s a skill that doesn’t receive enough attention. Combine how hard he plays with his athleticism, and you’ve got something special. If I’m Gordon and my career winds up resembling Griffin, I’m pretty excited, to say the least. Griffin made huge strides following his freshman season at Oklahoma under Jeff Capel. Though a high school All-American, he did enter college with lower expectations than Gordon will arrive with. (Griffin was ranked No. 18 in the Class of 2007.)"