Report: Alabama guard Rylan Griffen plans to enter NCAA transfer portal

Alabama guard Rylan Griffen plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported. He put together a strong sophomore season with the Crimson Tide in 2023-24.

Griffen was a key part of Alabama’s first-ever Final Four appearance, averaging 11.2 points while shooting 39.2% from three-point distance. It was quite the leap from his freshman season in which he scored 5.9 points in 15.8 minutes on average.

Griffen played high school basketball at Richardson (TX) High School, where he was a four-star recruit. He arrived in Tuscaloosa as the No. 45 overall player from the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

Griffen suffered a calf injury in the SEC tournament, but returned for March Madness and made a major impact. His biggest game came at the perfect time when he dropped 19 points and went 5-for-8 from three-point distance to help Alabama defeat No. 1 seed North Carolina 89-87 to advance to the Elite Eight.

Rylan Griffen is the second Alabama player with intentions to enter the portal, joining forward Kris Parker. The Crimson Tide also made a notable pickup on the transfer market during the tournament run, landing a commitment from former Pepperdine guard Houston Mallette. He announced his decision on March 19 as Alabama was getting ready to take on Charleston in the first round.

The Crimson Tide put together an impressive season en route to the Final Four, riding the high-powered offense to a 25-12 overall record and a trip to Phoenix. After the year, though, there was chatter about what could be next for the program – particularly head coach Nate Oats.

Following John Calipari’s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas, Oats’ name became a hot one to replace him. However, on the night of the national championship, he took to social media to release a statement reaffirming his commitment to Alabama and withdrew his name from consideration for the role at Kentucky.

“Bama Nation, I am fully committed to this team and to this University,” Oats wrote. “We have already accomplished some great things here, and there is nothing I want more than for The University of Alabama to win its first national championship in men’s basketball. Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach. Roll Tide!”