Is Rylan Griffen Finally Breaking Out? The Answer Might Be Yes

It hasn’t been an easy road for Rylan Griffen since transferring to Kansas basketball.

Adjusting to a new system and team dynamics has taken time, but the junior wing might finally be finding his groove—and it couldn’t come at a better moment for the Jayhawks.

It all started with a breakout performance on the road at UCF. Griffen drained four 3-pointers on his way to a season-high 14 points. Head coach Bill Self was quick to praise Griffen for his contributions beyond the box score, noting his effort on the boards, defensive plays, and overall energy.

Griffen followed up that performance with another solid outing in Kansas’ win over Arizona State. While his 3-point shot wasn’t as sharp (1-for-4), he adapted, shooting 3-for-5 inside the arc and contributing three rebounds and a steal in just 18 minutes.

That all-around effort earned high praise from Self.

“Defensively, got his nose dirty,” Self said after the Arizona State game. “He’s not really a play-making guy, but he got downhill and made a couple of nice passes, really nice. … He still hasn’t shot the ball, except for UCF, like he can shoot it, but he was more aggressive. So, I thought that—I’m getting more and more confidence in him as we keep going.”

For Griffen, the process of carving out his spot on this Kansas team has been a journey.

“It was hard,” Griffen admitted Wednesday. “It kind of reminded me, like, of my freshman year of college, just like new team, new system and all of that. But, it usually takes me, like, a couple months to get comfortable with my new team—even last year, and I had already been in the program. It took me a couple of months. But I feel like I’m here now and just trying to win as big as I can here with my teammates.”

That patience is starting to pay off. Griffen has been a regular in the lineup recently, and it’s not just because of his scoring. His defense has been stellar, and his body language has shown a clear shift.

The drive to contribute is there, setting him apart from others, including AJ Storr, who has struggled to make a similar impact.

Heading into Saturday’s matchup against Cincinnati, Kansas will need Griffen to keep the momentum going. The Bearcats boast one of the nation’s top defenses, and the Jayhawks will need every bit of effort and energy Griffen can provide.

Kansas is getting him more involved, and his confidence is growing.

As Self said, Griffen’s aggression and defensive contributions are key.

If he can build on his recent performances, Griffen could be a major factor in helping Kansas extend its winning streak

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