Troy Griffith: Erskine College

Evans High School basketball star Troy Griffith knew in October he wanted to play ball for Erskine College, but held off on signing a letter of intent until Monday.

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"I really wanted to make the decision then, but I didn't want to jump the gun," said the 17-year-old. "Kids sometimes can make decisions too quickly."

Though other colleges tried to recruit Griffith, he said none pursued him with more zeal than Erskine, a Division II school in Due West, S.C.

"I played in a tournament in Myrtle Beach (S.C.) last summer and that's the first place they saw me," Griffith said. "I went to visit the campus in October and they offered right after that."

The school suits Griffith's style of play, said Evans coach Kevin Kenny.

"At that level, colleges need someone who can come in already able to shoot the ball well," Kenny said. "They're very disciplined, as is Troy."

Discipline is something Griffith said he picked up while playing basketball in his native San Antonio, Texas.

"The style of play is a lot different in Texas," he said. "There's a lot more emphasis on fundamentals and defense. The games are slow."

But Griffith learned to pick up the pace when he arrived at Evans High as a sophomore.

"Everybody loves to run around here," he said.

Adding quickness to his game, though, likely helped him draw interest from Erskine.

"The game is a lot more fast-paced in college with the way they make their cuts and move with purpose," Griffith said.

Kenny doubts that Griffith will have trouble adjusting.

"He's a very smart player and one of the best shooters we've ever had come through here," Kenny said.

Griffith averages 16 points per game and five rebounds. Kenny said he shoots better than 50 percent from three-point range.

Griffith said he recently played with his future Erskine teammates.

"I shot the ball really well. A lot of players were impressed." he said. "They were asking me where I was going to go (to college) and they were excited that I was going there."