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THE BEST PLAYER TO GO UNDRAFTED WILL BE…ERIC GRIFFIN Eric Griffin is an elite athlete. That's about all you need to know. Of course, there is more to the senior forward from the Campbell Fighting Camels. But in his two years in college, Griffin made a name for himself as a hyper-elite leaper and highlight-reel dunker, and the obscene facial he put on North Carolina A&T; this year was easily one of the best dunks of the past decade. What is most impressive perhaps is the amount of time – or lack thereof - he has actually played basketball. Most prospects at this stage have played basketball for 8-10 years at a very high, com- petitive level. But in just his junior year of high school, Griffin was cut from the team and then passed through two years of JUCO ball before landing at Campbell. He only has five years of basketball under his belt and two years at a Division I program. Griffin is a pogo stick leaper, but has also come along as a basketball player. His wiry frame does not suggest this, but the 6-8, 190-pound forward is a terrific rebounder and is also emerging as a defender. His length allows him to get to offensive re- 43 WORDS. KRISTOFER HABBAS PHOTO. CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS bounds at a high rate despite his lack of tra- ditional size. Griffin may not have a position defensively, but he can impact shots from anywhere on the floor. He gets off the ground so quickly that it's easy to take him lightly as a de- fender because of his size…you know, like people have done to Hakim Warrick, Andrei Kirilenko and Jeremy Evans. But that's exactly what to expect from Griffin at the next level - another highlight reel, high-flying forward. His career averages of 14.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks a game are better than Evans and right on track with Warrick. There are a few things that translate directly to the NBA: rebound- ing, shot-blocking and athleticism. Griffin has all three in ample supply. Yeah, Eric Griffin is an elite athlete. All you need to do is YouTube him to know that. But he is also going to make NBA teams regret pass- ing on him in the draft.