CLEVELAND — When Grant Huffman was a St. Edward Eagle, he learned a lot about competing. Learning under longtime and esteemed head coach Eric Flannery, Huffman built a foundation that would take him into Division I college basketball and onto a path that led him back to Northeast Ohio for the NCAA Tournament.
Flannery is happy to point out the best in his former players, but he also doesn't shy away from the areas they could improve on. For Huffman, he drove him toward the thing that made him the most successful—his strong work ethic.
"A guy that pretty much outworked everybody. Maybe he wasn't always the tallest player, quite honestly maybe not always the most skilled player—he still can't shoot the ball and I'll tell him that," Flannery said coyly. "But he made himself the best that could possibly could through his work ethic and not only on the court but off the court."
Huffman, who graduated from the high school in 2020, still reflects on his days at St. Ed's and the lessons instilled in him by Flannery. They were lessons he learned in seasons that saw the Eagles make the state semifinals his junior year and earn a No. 1 ranking in the Cleveland Boys Basketball Top 25 in 2019-20. They were also lessons he learned before departing for college and thinking about his future.
"I played for a great coach, coach Flannery. He taught me the game of basketball. I had a great trainer, Delvon Blanton," Huffman said. "Just a combination of learning life lessons in school and learning the game of basketball from a great coach who was part of an Olympic team was big for the growth of myself."
Huffman graduated from St. Ed's after the 2019-20 season. He went on to enroll at Davidson College, where he played four years of D1 hoops. With the Wildcats, Huffman used the work ethic as a genuine strength. He earned a role as team captain while contributing game after game. Huffman ended his four years at Davidson, having averaged 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 25.8 minutes. His senior year was his strongest, averaging a career-best 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists a game in 33.9 minutes.
Following his senior year, Huffman entered the transfer portal, and as a fifth-year senior, thanks to the 2020-21 season impacted by COVID-19, he entered his final playing year with Vanderbilt. For Huffman, Vanderbilt offered a good fit on the court and academics.
For Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington, Huffman provided St. Ed's work ethic, which has remained with the guard throughout the years.
"When I met with him on his recruiting trip and figured out what he wanted I realized he was a perfect fit," Byington said. "Having him on the court is valuable and all I can say is he translates to winning."
Despite not having the largest role on the Commodores, Huffman has been a major part of their success this season. Byington credits Huffman for some of the team's most crucial wins, including their upset win over Texas A&M, which was a major contributor to their selection into the NCAA Tournament.
A tournament that has sent Huffman and the Commodores to Cleveland for the first and second rounds, hosted at Rocket Arena. Huffman, an avid Cleveland sports fan, is playing at a familiar venue back in his hometown.
Huffman grew up sitting in the seats at Rocket Arena, watching Zydrunas Ilgauskas take the court. Now, his family and friends, coaches and loved ones from home will watch Huffman take the court with the No. 10 Commodores as they take on No. 7 St. Mary in the first round.
Having a support system, as does playing in Cleveland, means a lot to Huffman. He got to do it with Davidson, but in his final year, this time might hold a little extra meaning.
"Cleveland is a special place for me. It's where I played high school basketball and I'm really excited to see my past coaches, my friends, my family," Huffman said.
His former coach, Flannery, will be in the stands. He expects Huffman to call back to his roots and what makes him great when he steps on the court.
"I know he's been out for a few games, I wasn't to see if he's the Grant we know and love. Is he going to be healthy, is he going to play? Secondly, I expect him to be the best defensive player on the floor, that's all I care about. Offensively, take care of the ball. And then I expect a Vanderbilt win," Flannery said.
No matter the outcome of Friday's game between Vanderbilt and St. Mary, Huffman's current coach knows the game will be a moment the Aurora native and St. Ed's grad will never forget.
"He came in as a grad transfer with one year left. And it is making memories. And what a memory it is for him to be in the SEC, to be a part-time starter, really good player on the team, hugely impactful, and then to have a chance to play in Cleveland in front of fans, and that's a dream, Byington said. "So there's a lot of things you make memories along the way. This will be something he never forgets. I know he'll play well, and we're going to depend on him. But to have this moment in his life, I know he's always going to cherish this."
