The BonaBlog recently had the chance to chat with the Bonnies 2015 commit Ladarien Griffin. Griffin answered our questions so Bonnies fans could get to know him a bit better. He also said he’s a frequent reader of the blog so incase you needed another reason to visit even our recruits are checking us out. Thanks to LD for hooking us up with this interview-we can’t wait to see him out there next Fall.

What other schools offered you before committing to SBU? Georgia Southern, Cornell , Brown, UNF , Long Island Brooklyn, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville.

Had you ever heard of St. Bonaventure before they started recruiting you?  Yes, when they won a-10 tournament in 2011-2012 and made it to the NCAA tournament.

What impressed you most about the coaching staff during the recruiting process? They were hardworking and family focused. They made me feel like I was a number 1 priority to them

What coach recruited you the most? Coach Curran.

What are you impressions of coach Schmidt? What about him made you feel confident in coming to Bonaventure? He has a lot of charisma and he is all about his players. He had a plan for how he was going to use me.

Did SBU have Andrew Nicholson of the Magic reach out to you? No, but I knew who he was and on my visit coach was showing me how he improved from his freshman year until his senior year before going to the NBA.

Who is your basketball role model? Lebron James.

Do you own a North Face Jacket? No, but I plan on getting one!

Have you ever seen significant amounts of snow accumulation? No, I have always lived in Florida.

Do you know who Bob Lanier is? Yes, he was one of the greatest players to come out of St. Bonaventure and played in the NBA for Pistons and Bucks.

Zach Levine or Vince Carter?  Zach lavine he has ridiculous athleticism.

What NBA player would you compare yourself to/or you try to emulate? Penny Hardaway. He was a great passer and defender. He had great athleticism too.

What are your short and long term basketball goals at St. Bonaventure? To win an Atlantic 10 championship and a long term goal is to win a national championship.

In what aspects of the game must you improve to be successful at the college level? My shooting.

What’s your biggest basketball strength/weakness right now? My athleticism and my defense and my weakness is my shooting.

What was the most memorable part of your official trip to SBU? What sealed the deal for you?
The midnight madness. The fans came a supported the team and you could tell that the fans love the Bonnies.

Have you spoken with Kyle Alexander (a highly recruited center from Canada) and do you have any insight into whether he may choose to play at SBU as well? What about Derrick Woods whose also signed on? Have you spoken with him? I talk to Kyle when I was on my visit. He is a really cool guy and I hope he comes to st. Bonaventure. As for Derrick, we haven’t talked much but I have seen a lot of his highlights and he is a great player and I can’t wait to play with him next year.

What are you most looking forward to doing as a freshman in college (non-basketball stuff)? Living on my own and seeing snow.

Have you considered a major yet? Sports management.

Have you ever met Tim Tebow? No, but he is very popular in Jacksonville.

UF or FSU or other for NCAA Football? FSU

Ok, Quick Hitters:

Favorite food?
Fried fish
Favorite fast food?
Chinese food
Favorite TV show?
Person of Interest
Favorite movie?
Scarface
Celebrity crush?
Selena Gomez
Favorite pre-game music artist or CD?
Drake
Your role model?
My dad
Favorite sport to watch other than basketball?
Football
Favorite team to root for?
Cleveland Cavaliers
If you could meet any three living people who would they be?
Lebron James , Warren Buffett and Michael Jordan
If you could eat dinner with one dead person who would you pick?
Martin Luther King Jr.
If you could go back in history and watch one even what would it be?
The MLK I have a dream speech