New York couldn’t stop these HS teammates. They’ll face off in UNC-Duke Final Four
There’s reason to believe that people in Westchester County in New York will be uniquely invested in college basketball this weekend.
UNC sophomore guard RJ Davis and Duke freshman wing AJ Griffin — former high school teammates at Archbishop Stepinac — will each represent the county when UNC and Duke clash in their historic Final Four matchup on Saturday night.
The two are like “brothers,” what with their shared experience and shared home state. And they’ll “always remember” competing against each other on Saturday’s stage.
But they also each have a singular goal in mind.
“I don’t think we’re going to be talking that much this week just because we’re going to be competing, but he’s like a little brother to me,” Davis told local reporters on Wednesday in Chapel Hill, before flying to New Orleans on Thursday morning. Davis then laughed. “Well, obviously, he’s like 6-foot-8, so he’s like a bigger brother. But that’s my little brother.”
Davis and Griffin grew up just 20 minutes apart from each other in Westchester. Davis grew up in White Plains, N.Y., and Griffin grew up in Ossining. In high school, the two were virtually unstoppable, winning the New York State Federation Championship in 2018 and two New York Archdiocesan Championships in 2018 and 2020.
And the former high school teammates are proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish in the ACC this year.
“AJ is a phenomenal talent,” Davis said. “He can shoot the ball really well. He’s a freakish athlete. When him and I played together, we were a great duo. It was like no one could really stop us in New York. I’m super happy for him, super happy for his success with what he’s been doing this year.”
Said Griffin during Thursday’s media availability in New Orleans: “Not many people from Stepinak make it to the Final Four, and to say you played against each other is something we’ll always remember.”
The two players have made themselves invaluable to their teams — not only in the NCAA tournament, but this entire season.
Griffin is averaging 10.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 23.9 minutes a game this season. He’s also shooting 46% from 3.
It’s clear that Griffin’s play directly impacts how well the Blue Devils play: In his first matchup with North Carolina, Griffin scored a season-high 27 points en route to his team’s 20-point clobbering of the Tar Heels. In Game Two? He was held to five points in 34 minutes in an unexpected loss.
Davis, too, is uniquely valuable to the Tar Heels. The 6-foot guard has started all 37 games this season and is averaging 13.4 points and 3.7 assists in 33.8 minutes per game. Davis scored 11 in his team’s first matchup with Duke but scored 21 points in the game that shocked the college basketball world. (He’s since hit his stride in the NCAA tournament — turning in a career high 30 points in No. 8-seeded North Carolina’s double-overtime win over top-seeded Baylor a few weekends ago.)
When asked if he thought his championship success at Stepinak impacted his decision to come South to play college basketball, Davis smiled.
“North Carolina is the biggest stage there is,” he said. “This is what I came here for.”
Griffin apparently agreed with that sentiment. And now he will face off with his “big brother” for a shot to play for a national championship.
This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 8:58 PM.
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