Playing one season at Kishwaukee College helped former Rochelle basketball standout Landon Griffith understand the intensity and physicality of the college game. With his family relocating to Arizona, Griffith wanted to continue playing basketball beyond his freshman year, and the Hub alum has already found his new home.

Griffith will play his sophomore season at Glendale Community College after signing his National Letter of Intent this past month. Griffith quickly emerged as a key contributor for the Kishwaukee men’s basketball team as a freshman, averaging 11.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 80.3 percent from the free-throw line.

“I wanted to continue playing college basketball,” Griffith said. “I really liked the Glendale campus and the coach. I wanted to continue playing JUCO ball because it gives me a good opportunity to play at the next level. It’s a bigger school and a lot of even bigger schools go there for scouting.”

Despite the Kougars dressing less than 10 players by the end of Griffith’s freshman season due to injuries, the former Rochelle guard put together a handful of strong performances including 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 10 rebounds against Carl Sandburg College on Feb. 22. He had 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting in Kishwaukee’s win against Harry S. Truman College on Feb. 24. Griffith said his time with Kougars has helped prepare him for the next step in his career.

“Kishwaukee really helped me with my post and inside game because I played down in the post for most of the year. We had a good lifting program with [Rob] Buss training us and I got a lot stronger… I’m looking forward to making new friends and having success both individually and as a team. I’m excited to play with my new teammates and get to work when I arrive.”

Griffith played four years of basketball at Rochelle Township High School, earning a Northern Illinois Big 12 All-Conference Honorable Mention his senior season after averaging just over 13 points per game. Griffith said he plans to study sports management at Glendale because of his passion for sports, and he said he’ll look to explore potential sports jobs in Arizona after completing his education.

“RTHS helped me with the pace of the game because we liked to get up and run the floor at Kishwaukee,” Griffith said. “I will bring my work ethic to the floor every day to help myself and my team get better. Being a sophomore I will have a leadership role on the team.”