Feb. 21, 2001

By Stacy Hollister
MU Media Relations

Michael Griffin is everything that is good in sports. And everything that is good in sports is Michael Griffin.

He is a pure love for the game.

"Basketball became fun when it became something I wanted to do, when I was playing for myself and not for my dad," said Griffin, a second-generation Tiger. His father, Michael, played for Missouri from 1969-72.

He is the living dream.

"I had offers from smaller schools, but because my father played ball here, I had always just loved Missouri," said Griffin, who calls Norcross, Ga., home. "I did anything I could to get here.

"My parents and coach `Q' (Quin Snyder) had been talking back and forth, and we decided to take a trip up here. We had a meeting and we explained to each other what each was going to give. Things just seemed to fall into place," continued Griffin. "I remember coach `Q' really understanding where I was coming from. He really seemed to know me better than I thought he did. He really seemed to agree with my thoughts about walking on. I told him I can be a practice player or I can come out and score points for you. I can do whatever you need me to do. I guess it's that million-dollar smile he gave me and I was like `this is the guy I want to play for.' I remember one thing he said to me: `You'll be treated no differently than anyone else.' "

That statement made Griffin feel at home and he immediately knew he made the right decision to talk to Snyder and become a Missouri Tiger like his father.

"I had a big smile on my face. I was so happy," he said. "I hugged and kissed my parents. I didn't want to jump all around at first, but we got back to the hotel and I went crazy. I called grandma. Mom started crying because she knew how much this program means to me. My father just hugged me. He was speechless. That's the only thing he ever wanted to see his son do was to grow up and play basketball. It's the greatest thing that's every happened to our family, thus far.

"I'd walk on for him (Snyder) any day of the week. He's just that kind of coach. He makes you want to work hard for him. You don't even notice you're really a walk-on because he doesn't treat you like that."

He is unselfishness.

"Playing time is something I really don't worry about. I think if coach `Q' needs me to serve the team in that way, I will. But it's not something I lose sleep over. Whatever coach `Q' wants me to do - I believe in him enough that that's not even a question in my mind. I just put a lot of faith in him, a lot of trust him and not worry about it."

He is enthusiasm.

"I just try to get everybody going. You got to bring the emotion. That's all you can bring. If the guys on the court can see me get hyped up, they're going to get roused. I just try to keep everybody in it."

That enthusiasm carried over to the court when Griffin first played for MU.

"Hitting my first shot was a big weight off my shoulders. It was our first game, I think against Team Fokus. With four minutes to go, I hear coach `Q' say, "Michael, let's go." I didn't think I heard him right. I sat there, and he was like, `Michael, are you ready to go?.'I was like `yeah,' and I was running. I threw my jersey off, and he goes, `Hold on. I didn't tell you who to go in for.' He started laughing, and I calmed down.

"I can tell you what the play was," he said. "I was coming around the 3-point line to the top of the key. Rick (Paulding) passed me the ball. The guy guarding me went to steal it, but I got to it in time and swept through, and he kept going. I took one dribble, pulled up on my `j' and it went in."

He is perspective.

"Preseason is pretty rough. I wasn't expecting anything like that. I don't think any of us were. They expect a lot out of you, but because they expect a lot out of you, they give you a lot more. The coaches really put a lot of time and effort into our program and they really put their heart and soul into it. You can tell, and they expect you to do the same. If they're going to put their heart and soul into it, I'm going to do double that. I'll get up at 5:30 every morning if I have to. It was rough but it was worth it.

He is appreciation.

"I thought we had the greatest fans in high school," he said. "The first game here, I was like whoa - the fans are so electric. They can get you feeling like you're Superman. When this place is packed, there's no better place in the country to play. Hearnes is the real deal. "This place does something to you. My father said these years were the best four years of his life, and I see why now. These are the best times."