BOYS’ BASKETBALL 1994-1995 / GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE : This Season, Griffin Refuses to Be Bullied : Basketball: Tustin guard started lifting and shooting regimen over summer as commitment to improvement

Robert Griffin dropped his slender, battered frame in the chair at the end of the row last season and reflected on the preceding few minutes of torture.

Griffin, then a Tustin High sophomore guard, had been manhandled--again--by the opposition and a disturbing realization crept into his head: No matter how Griffin tried to convince himself otherwise, he wasn’t ready for varsity basketball. Incredible shooting range Griffin possessed; strength and ability to play defense he didn’t.

The heaping dose of reality was exactly what Griffin needed. He committed himself to improving his game during the summer, and the payoff is a starting position in the Tillers’ backcourt this season. He’s expected to provide a long-range presence that should help Tustin outdistance its Golden West League competition.

“A lot of people were telling me I belonged on the varsity, and I thought I did, but I really didn’t and it showed,” Griffin said. “But it kind of helped me. It made me work harder and it made me a better player.”

Not that the kid was devoid of skills, mind you.

In basketball vernacular, Griffin is what is known as a “gunner.”

“He has deep range, 25 or 30 feet--seriously,” Tustin Coach Andy Ground said. “Potentially, he could be the best shooter in the league.”

This potential prompted Ground to have Griffin play with the varsity at times. Griffin was supposed to help loosen tight zone defenses by consistently making jumpers. And the plan’s success rate was decent. But, oh, did Griffin pay for the privilege.

“I had no size,” he said. “I was getting pushed around all over the place.”

The math was simple: 145 pounds on a 6-foot-1 basketball player is not a formula for longevity. Griffin acquainted himself, in earnest, with weights for the first time, working in lifting with his daily shooting regimen.

Likewise, Ground noticed problems with his plan for Griffin. Early in the season, Ground decided it would be best for Griffin to spend the majority of his time with the junior varsity.

Although slightly disappointed, Griffin realized it was for the best.

“I wanted to play, but since I didn’t play a lot (on the varsity) it was a little frustrating,” Griffin said. “Coach Ground told me, ‘Shoot the ball as much as you can on the JV.’ ”

He listened well.

Griffin shot enough to average 24 points. Moreover, he applied himself to learning defense, a concept he used to let others worry about.

“I found out I couldn’t play defense on the varsity,” Griffin said. “Everybody said that varsity wasn’t a big difference from the JV, but it’s not even like that. Everyone was a little bigger, a little stronger and a little faster.”

By playoff time, Griffin had already made strides. He contributed some timely outside shooting, and improved defense, to the Tillers’ strong postseason run, which Compton Dominguez ended, 70-35, in the Southern Section Division II-A semifinals.

Griffin attended two summer basketball camps in which he continued to concentrate on his defense. Through weight lifting he’s added about 15 pounds of muscle and his weight now hovers around 160.

“He really emerged during the summer,” Ground said. “He’ll be able to play 32 minutes a game for us with the body he has now. He probably couldn’t play more than six minutes before.”

Ground expects Griffin to be the Tillers’ third-leading scorer behind standout senior point guard Doug Gottlieb and talented senior forward David Lalazarian. Ground said Griffin will probably average about 10 shots, most of which he’ll attempt from behind the three-point arc.

“If Doug and David weren’t around, he’d score a lot of points this season,” Ground said. “But this will help him get ready for next year when he’ll have to score a lot for us.”

Griffin is content with his role.

“I’m not a selfish player,” he said. “I like to shoot but I also like to pass.”