The Arizona Wildcats will have a second Griffey on campus next year.
Trey Griffey, the son of future major-league Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., is a promising redshirt freshman wide receiver for Arizona. Junior was seen at some Arizona practices this spring.
He’ll have even more reason to be in Tucson, as his daughter, Taryn Griffey, committed to play basketball this week for the Wildcats, a big recruiting coup for Niya Butts, who recently completed her fifth season at Arizona.
Griffey (5-7) missed her junior season at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando because of an ACL injury but is rated the 12th-best point guard in the 2014 class by ESPN.com.
“My family was pretty shocked,” Taryn Griffey told the Bright House Sports Network in Orlando this week about her commitment.
“I hadn’t said anything because I didn’t really know what I was thinking. My brother is here and my dad and him were high fiving. My brother being out there had some influence on it, but I really like the coach and I really like the atmosphere out there. …
“One thing I really wanted to do ever since I was younger was make a name for myself and for a program, like how Skylar Diggins made her name at Notre Dame and Brittany Griner made her name at Baylor.”
Griffey went 9-for-9 from 3-point range in one game as a sophomore, and she excelled in the state tournament that season, with 39 points and 32 rebounds in the final two games. Wrote ESPN.com last summer: “May well be the poster child for speed and quickness.”
Arizona already has had success with the daughter of a former All-Star major-league outfielder. Davellyn Whyte, the daughter of Devon White, finished her career last season as one of the best players in program history. She was selected 16th overall in the WNBA draft.
The Cats finished 12-18, though, and are still looking for a breakthrough under Butts. A commitment from Griffey should help.