COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - It's not that Griffin Rushin didn't see action during his first two seasons at Saint John's. But the 6-foot-8, 200-pound wing out of Brainerd High School really wasn't a regular part of the Johnnies' rotation.
 
Coming into this year, though, he saw the opportunity for that to change.
 
"I knew we had a few guys graduating and we were going to do a few things differently offensively," said Rushin, who saw action in 15 games as both a freshman and sophomore, averaging 3.5 minutes and 6.3 minutes per game respectively.
 
"So I knew there was a chance for me to contribute more if I got into the weight room and gym and focused on getting better every day. My goal was to get bigger, stronger and faster. I talked with both (head coach) Pat (McKenzie) and (head strength and conditioning coach) Justin Rost, and we put a plan together that really helped. 
 
"So it's nice now to see some of that work paying off."
 
Rushin has steadily seen more playing time as this season has gone along. He now averages 16 minutes and has scored in double figures in three of SJU's last five matchups – helping the Johnnies get off to a 7-2 (6-0 MIAC) start. 
 
That included 12 points each in wins over Augsburg (Dec. 4) and Macalester (Dec. 9). He also had eight points and a career-high 10 rebounds as the Johnnies pulled off a 77-70 road victory over previously unbeaten Concordia on Dec. 6.
 
"He's gotten better each year he's been here, but this year he's really made a jump," McKenzie said. "He's gotten stronger, and along with that has come more confidence. 
 
"He's shown flashes of what he's capable of at times over the past two seasons. But this season, he's proving he can do it consistently."
 
Rushin also established himself as a potent scoring threat on the perimeter. So far this season, he is 10-for-21 from behind the 3-point line, making him one of four Johnnies already in double figures in 3-pointers.
 
"I think I've always been a good perimeter shooter," Rushin said. "I feel pretty comfortable out there and it's always been a part of my game. This year, we've really been focused on driving the paint and kicking the ball out. That's opened up opportunities to shoot the 3 for a lot of us."
 
Coming out of high school, Rushin looked at Concordia and Division II Bemidji State. But he said the welcome he felt in Collegeville made Saint John's the obvious choice.
 
"All the coaches were here when I visited and they each took the time to talk to my parents and I," he said. "They made me feel wanted. This place just felt like home."
 
Rushin is majoring in biology and hopes to one day pursue a career as a physician's assistant.
 
"I just like the idea of being able to help people get back to doing what they want to do – whether that's in sports or life," he said. "I've been lucky enough to stay pretty healthy. But I've had friends who've had significant injuries and have had to sit out. I felt bad for them because I know how hard it must be sitting on the sideline. I'd like to be part of the process of getting people back in action."
 
Rushin's father, Chad, works in construction and his mother, Jennifer, works from home. His younger brother, Brady, 17, is following in his footsteps as a member of the varsity boys basketball team this season at Brainerd.
 
"We like to compete head to head," Griffin said with a laugh. "We play one-on-one a lot. He's getting closer, but he still hasn't beat me yet."
 
Rushin is more than holding his own at SJU as well. After starting the season 0-2, the Johnnies have now won seven in a row, and Rushin hopes to help keep that momentum going when SJU – which received votes in Monday's (Dec. 11) D3hoops.com Top 25 poll – faces Nazareth (N.Y.) and Mount Union (Ohio) in neutral-site nonconference games on Dec. 19 and 20 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
 
"We have a motto written on the wall in our locker room: 'It's about us.' That means that no matter who we play, we need to focus on what we're doing," Rushin said.
 
"As long as we keep playing the way we have been, and stay locked in every day in practice, the rest will take care of itself. We have so much depth on this team. Different people are stepping up every game. It's exciting to see."