Published May 12, 2020
Three-Point Play: Rylan Griffen, Ramean Hinton, Kai Sotto
Eric Bossi  •  Basketball Recruiting
National Analyst
Twitter
@ebosshoops

Why is class of 2022 shooting guard Rylan Griffen one of the hottest names in Texas? The G League has added another one and the lack of interest in a 2020 wing from Chicago continues to defy logic. Read all about it in today’s edition of the Three-Point-Play.

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2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position

2022 Rankings: Top 75


1. GRIFFEN STOCK IS HEATING UP IN TEXAS

Coming off of a season during which he averaged 22 points, five rebounds and four assists per game at Richardson (Texas) High, 6-foot-5 two guard Rylan Griffen is one of hottest prospects from the class of 2022.

A big-time athlete who is armed with a dangerous pull-up jumper, Griffen already ranks No. 53 nationally in his class and was poised to make another climb. If you don’t believe me, look at the offer list that already includes the likes of Creighton, DePaul, Kansas, Kansas State, Mississippi, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU and Texas A&M while Baylor and Texas Tech have been heavily involved.

I checked in with Griffen, who said that improving as a shooter was a big focus during his sophomore season.

"I really tried to elevate my shot when people’s hands are in my face this year and it really helped me score in multiple ways,” said Griffen. “For next season I’m working on getting a lot stronger so I can easily get into the paint and finish.”

Whether more coaches will get to see him this summer is up in the air, but when they do Griffen wants them to know something very important about him.

“I think they should know I’ll do anything they ask me to win the game,” said Griffen. “I like to win and it feels good winning, so I’ll do anything to make that happen.”

So far, Griffen has seen the campuses of Baylor and Texas Tech. Once he’s able to get back on the road again he says that he and his family have discussed Kansas, Kansas State and Texas A&M as some programs they would like to check in on.

2. RAMEAN HINTON REMAINS AVAILABLE FOR THE TAKING

I get that the cupboard of talent in the class of 2020 is pretty empty at this point and I understand that many coaches have chosen to go the transfer route to fill out open scholarships. Still, I don’t understand how a player like Ramean Hinton of Chicago (Ill.) Curie isn’t picking up more interest.

Originally signed to play at Southeast Missouri State, the 6-foot-5 Hinton was one of the biggest steals in the class of 2020. A true junkyard dog who ranks amongst the top-40 wing players in the senior class, he’s an intense competitor who makes things happen on drives to the rim and projects as a potentially big-time defender.

When he first opened things up in March, Hinton heard from Illinois, Iowa State and Tulsa while SEMO tried to get him back in the fold. Of late, Colorado State, Missouri State and Wisconsin-Green Bay have been kicking the tires a bit but nobody has really been going all out. I feel programs from the upper mid-major to even high major level would be wise to do some more checking on Hinton because there’s still time to land a guy who could really be a quality late addition.

3. SOTTO THE LATEST TO GO G LEAGUE ROUTE

The G League appears to have found their next player from the class of 2020 in seven-footer Kai Sotto.

On Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Sotto is expected to be the next to sign on for the G League’s new pathway program instead of going to school.

Originally hailing from the Republic of the Philippines, Sotto came to the United States to play at the Skills Factory in Atlanta, Sotto had several high-level programs including Auburn, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and others flirt with him during the winter. However, it became apparent by mid-winter that he had little intention of playing college basketball.

Currently ranked No. 70 in the class of 2020, Sotto isn’t ranked nearly as highly as five-stars Jalen Green, Daishen Nix and Isaiah Todd who already chose to skip out on college, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make it work. He just may need more time. He’s a fluid athlete, he is a plus shot-blocker and he has touch on his shot. He just needs more strength and more time to adjust to the American game.