In the spring of 2025, Middlesex Magic director Michael Crotty was reviewing some film of Declan Griffiths. He liked what he saw. The 3-point shooting ability stuck out, and he saw he was even starting to dunk on people. He looked so good that Crotty was considering rostering him on the Magic’s top 17U team that featured Quinn Costello and Ryan Moesch.
He spoke to Matt Mihalich, then Griffiths’ coach at Avon Old Farms, about what he was thinking. But Crotty hadn’t fully realized that Griffiths had actually reclassified to the 2027 class.
“I was like, I think he could really fit on this ‘26 team, and he was like, ‘You know, he’s in ‘27,’” Crotty recalled. “I just hadn’t read the YouTube and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, he’s in ‘27? This guy’s a no-brainer.’”
Griffiths’ talents were that advanced. Crotty proceeded to put him on his top 16U team that spring, but by the summer, the 6-foot-7 wing was elevated to the 17U squad for the July live periods. That momentum continued over the last 18 months and a fast-rising trajectory led to Friday, when Griffiths made his commitment to Vanderbilt.
Griffiths (Simsbury, Conn.), a four-star wing and one of the best shooting prospects in the country, is ranked No. 89 in the nation in the 2027 class by 24/7 Sports. The St. Thomas More transfer chose Vanderbilt over Ole Miss, Butler, Boston College and Providence.
Griffiths was actually offered a spot to join Vanderbilt for the upcoming 2026-27 season, but decided to stay for his final prep season at St. Thomas More, where the Chancellors are among the frontrunners in NEPSAC Class AAA. But the Commodores clearly prioritized Griffiths as they ramped up their recruitment for him this summer.
In Vanderbilt, which has made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances under head coach Mark Byington, Griffiths is joining a program quickly on the rise. Both sides see him as a perfect fit for Byington’s system and a program that’s already showing proven development success and an opportunity for Griffiths to accentuate his strengths as a shooter surrounded by a roster healthy with ball handlers.
“What’s not to like about the fit?” Crotty said. “Byington has a great track record, they run a great offense … it’s a top 10-15 team, it’s an elite school, it’s in the SEC. I think Declan all along was intrigued with what Vanderbilt looked like, and then he went and visited, and he really liked it. Byington sees him as a perfect fit for the way they play, the way they run offense. It was tough. Ultimately, the combination of everything Vanderbilt represents is what put it over the top.”
Griffiths should be able to impact the college level right away with his elite shotmaking, a continued area of growth throughout his prep and grassroots career. When he was called up to the Magic’s top 17U team last summer, he canned five 3-pointers en route to 19 points in his first game before getting sidelined by an injury. He seems to have a constant green light and never shies away from taking shots from anywhere on the court.
But what makes him one of the best shooting prospects in the country? It’s not simply his catch-and-shoot prowess. It’s the diversity of the ways he can drill.
“For starters, it’s remarkably consistent motion and he gets it out of his hand lightning fast. And he’s 6-7,” Crotty said. “It would be pretty good if you had the first two and you were six feet tall. He’s got pure mechanics, the same release every time, he can do it off of any kind of screening action, off the bounce, certainly stepping in and catch and shoot. We put him in all types of actions, and the way he’s gained strength in his base, the power in his legs, his ability to stabilize there, that’s been a massive development for him to be able to become so consistent on the move, off curls, off fades, off pindowns. He sets those legs and he just has quick, elite mechanics up top.”
Crotty said Griffiths set the tone this spring and summer for a Magic team that was again among the best grassroots squads in the country regardless of circuit. He continued the program’s run of elite wings that also includes Ryan Mela, Ryder Frost and Costello. But it wasn’t just Griffiths’ shooting that was a major difference maker. It was his physicality on both ends, whether it was attacking close outs with highlight dunks or rebounding out of his area.
Crotty believes Griffiths’ defense should not go overlooked. He actually led the Magic in blocked shots this summer with more than two swats per game, doing so on jumpers, at the rim or helping from the weak side. That ability – especially given Griffiths’ athleticism at 6-foot-7 – should help him make an impact right away in the SEC.
“He became one of our better defenders. I think there’s an obvious, typical way — when people become so skilled, people don’t talk about their toughness as much. Declan’s a tough kid. He’s physically tough, he’s gained a ton of strength, he’s athletic, he’s mentally tough. I mean, a lot of people want to talk to him on the court, and he kind of keeps his cool and smiles at them. I’ve appreciated his growth in terms of both mental and physical toughness.
“I think he’s a really, really good defender, and I think he’s going to be able to hit the ground running at Vanderbilt on both ends of the floor.”
