Recruiting

[valpopal]

I am told Valpo seems to have interest in another transfer: Auburn's freshman Brian Greene, Jr., a Chicago product and a former Rivals 3-star, ESPN 4-star player.

[classof2014]

I am told Valpo seems to have interest in another transfer: Auburn's freshman Brian Greene, Jr., a Chicago product and a former Rivals 3-star, ESPN 4-star player.

Has Greene expressed interest in Valpo? Or has just Valpo expressed interest in Greene? Combo of both?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Has Greene expressed interest in Valpo? Or has just Valpo expressed interest in Greene? Combo of both?

Good. Point.

Always a great question.  I expressed interest in a great number of girls while in high school.  Didn't mean they were signing any letters of intent.

[valpopal]

Has Greene expressed interest in Valpo? Or has just Valpo expressed interest in Greene? Combo of both?

Good. Point.

Always a great question.  I expressed interest in a great number of girls while in high school.  Didn't mean they were signing any letters of intent.

The interest goes both ways. I believe he has talked to both Valpo and Bradley.

[classof2014]

The interest goes both ways. I believe he has talked to both Valpo and Bradley.

Okay, makes me feel better about Greene then. And any 4 star recruit showing interest in Valpo gets my attention pretty quickly!

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Short version because I'm behind.

Brian Greene, Jr.
6'3 205 PG (Chicago)
Attended IMG Academy...you know, that agent-run high school for superathletes in Florida. 
It's kind of like a real-life X-Men.  http://www.imgacademy.com/sports/boys-basketball/prep-school-program
He played a year there (averaged 15.5 ppg, 4 apg, and 5 rpg, shooting 46 / 40 / 80) after graduating from Thornton East.

Played: 28 of 32 games for Auburn, averaging 11.6 mpg, 3 ppg.  Shot 37 / 42 / 54 in small sample size.

Best game of season:  14 pts in 28 minutes at SCar, 6-6 from the floor, including 2-2 from 3.

Team's: next-to-last win of the season (only won 3 conf games and 9-23 overall; lost last 10 in a row and 16 of 17) 

SEC Basketball:  They're Not Elliptically Shaped Any More!
(Yeah, they beat South Carolina.  So did Milwaukee.  Well, almost.)
Common opponents, just for the record:  beat IPFW 61-50, lost at home to Murray St, 79-59.

Wouldn't you want to play for a team that could not suck?  Also Auburn wanted him to take a pay cut leave to make room for a Rutgers PG transfer.  (I'm reminded of something someone said that Erick Locke's dad retweeted, something to the effect of "if more coaches just kept a scholarship in their back pocket instead of reaching just to have someone, we'd have a lot fewer transfers every spring")

Article on the transfer:

Greene, who faced inconsistent playing time throughout the year, seemed to get better as the season progressed, averaging 4.1 points per game in sixteen conference games after averaging just 1.2 in non-conference play.

http://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/index.ssf/2013/05/auburn_guard_brian_greene_jr_t.html

Bonus quote: 

"the third Tiger in Tony Barbee's 2012 class to leave the program in what has become Auburn's annual shuffle of personnel."

LOL. 
Previously Auburn Class of 2012 described as

"I think it has the potential to be a foundation class building up to a tournament team," Rivals.com national basketball recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer said.

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1342050
But then

Auburn men's basketball coach Tony Barbee has seen nine of his 14 recruits leave the program.

http://auburnauthority.com/2013/05/01/brian-greene-jr-to-transfer-as-rutgers-transfer-jerome-seagears-commits/
whoops.gif


Where else might he look: 

Has two older sisters, Quintella and Delisa, who played basketball at Robert Morris ... chose Auburn over Ole Miss, USF, Iowa, Virginia Tech and Mississippi State.

http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/greenejr_brian00.html

Also Bradley, per the above.  ESPN said he also looked at St Bonaventure and Rhode Island; Rivals adds Nebraska and South Florida. 

Perhaps he wants to come Closer To Home.  In which case, young man, I took the liberty of google-mapping and VU is 42.5 miles.  Bradley is 157 miles. 
MATH'd


Spent a year at IMG because he didn't want to play at places like, well, kinda like Valpo:

Greene, Jr., originally from Chicago, Ill., took the chance in attending IMG after high school and turning down offers from smaller schools.

"I'm excited for it. It's long been a dream to play college basketball at the highest level."

http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1353614

Bonus Unintentionally Ironic Media Guide Quote About a Future Transfer:

has an unbelievable work ethic ... stays in the gym and is a gym rat

Highlights:  PROTIP: watch with audio muted
Brian Greene Jr Mixtape (Auburn Bound Guard)
Wow.  Tall (for PG), fast, amazingly easy leaper.  Like it's nothing at all. 

3-star to Rivals; initially signed with Auburn as did his cousin (offensive lineman Jordan Diamond, who should have signed with Michigan. eh. your loss kid).

4-star with rank of 92 to The Worldwide Leader: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/154127/brian-greene

Outlook and upshot
Would become eligible in 2014-15 and have 3 years left!  So might Keith Carter at the same juncture, but more likely 2.  Would be interesting to see how that affects the decision.  Not a pure point guard, though, so could factor in in a 3-guard rotation.  Would become eligible after LVD and Coleman graduate...so...

Would be 22 before he played a minute for anyone, and have 3 years (!) left. #oldestteaminamericaPartDeux

[classof2014]

This kid could easily be the x-factor for the future generation. Obviously there was something wrong with Auburn if everyone and the kitchen sink has chosen to leave. Perhaps he now might look small and might miss home. Valpo is the best team in the Chicago area, so that could be a fit. Hopefully he sees the potential he has at a program like Valpo, and under one of the best young coaches in basketball today.

Just as a side note, I think it does PGs more good than harm to have them sit out a season. Gives them a chance to watch and understand both the offense and the defense. That's why I think EB was so effective, I think sitting out the second half of last year will prove vital in the abilities of Keith Carter. As well as for Brian Greene Jr no matter where he goes.

If Valpo could land Greene, which they have a chance based upon the list of schools he's looking at. He would probably be the highest rated recruit EVER to where the brown and gold!

[valpopal]

I believe he has talked to both Valpo and Bradley.

You can add Northwestern as well. So far, he seems to be focusing on the Chicago area.

[78crusader]

Might want to hold off on naming this guy to any All-America team just yet...3 ppg for a 9-23 club doesn't seem, at first glance, to be that impressive.  To quote Brad Pitt in Moneyball:  "If he's such a good hitter, why doesn't he hit good?"

Paul

[classof2014]

Might want to hold off on naming this guy to any All-America team just yet...3 ppg for a 9-23 club doesn't seem, at first glance, to be that impressive.  To quote Brad Pitt in Moneyball:  "If he's such a good hitter, why doesn't he hit good?"

Paul

Don't forget he was only a freshman on a terrible team. If you don't like your coach it's hard to be enthusiastic about playing, and when it's hard to be enthusiastic it's hard to give it your all, and when the rest of the team feels this way equals a 9-23 record.

Sometimes a change a scenery is all that is needed. Happy players are enthusiastic and naturally put everything into their game. While unhappy players naturally don't give it their all and are much less enthusiastic when showing up to practice and games.

Am I saying he's gonna be an all-American? No. I do think he's much better than what his freshman year stats have shown.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Per game stats on transfers are very very rarely going to be very good.  Maybe grad year transfers, but the reason kids transfer is that they're not happy where they are.  Why are they not happy?  They aren't playing as much as they think they should.  When they're not playing as much as they think they should, then there numbers aren't where Paul thinks they should be.

QED.

In other news, his twitter:
https://twitter.com/flight_bg
Apparently watched the Golden State-San Antonio game in Valpo, according to a tweet, but check this one out:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Bryce Drew and Roger Powell Jr are some good dudes</p>&mdash; Brian Greene Jr (@flight_bg) <a href="https://twitter.com/flight_bg/status/332279042285924352">May 8, 2013</a>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

ok, 04, so you can't embed tweets here yet   I'll put the useful parts in bold.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

If it'll make you feel better, Paul:

Points per 40 minutes played, 2012-13
LaVonte Dority 16.2
Matt Kenney 13.2
Ben Boggs 12.5
Jordan Coleman 11.8
Brian Greene Jr 10.1
Erik Buggs 9.9
Will Bogan 9.6

BOOM goes the dynamite

[valpopal]

Yes, Greene visited Valpo on Wednesday after his visits to Northwestern and Bradley. Which of those three would you rather play for?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

So, likely a better scorer than two of our starters last year.

Also comparing him to the backcourt (throwing Boggs in) in terms of

Rebounds per 40 minutes played, 2012-13
Jordan Coleman 6.76
Ben Boggs 5.07
Matt Kenney 4.95
Erik Buggs 3.63
Brian Green Jr. 2.59
LaVonte Dority 2.25
Will Bogan 1.64

Assists per 40 minutes played, 2012-13
Erik Buggs 5.22
Matt Kenney 4.76
Brian Green Jr. 3.70
LaVonte Dority 3.53
Will Bogan 2.08
Ben Boggs 1.15
Jordan Coleman 1.02

now for the PIECE OF RESISTANCE

Steals per 40 minutes played, 2012-13
Brian Green Jr. 2.35
Erik Buggs 2.30
Jordan Coleman 1.67
Will Bogan 1.41
LaVonte Dority 1.35
Ben Boggs 1.15
Matt Kenney 0.91

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Which of those three would you rather play for?

Well I'd play for Valpo.  But if I were unbiased I'd play for Northwestern because you get an earlier vacation every year.

[classof2014]

Sounds like Greene enjoyed his visit to Valpo

Based what LaPorte has posted, as a freshman he was more efficient than many of our seniors and some of our juniors. Hopefully he'll choose Valpo and excel under some good dudes.

[a3uge]

Which of those three would you rather play for?

Well I'd play for Valpo.  But if I were unbiased I'd play for Northwestern because you get an earlier vacation every year.

Two week spring break??

But it's in February so that might be a wash.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Two week spring break??

not if you hoopin

[valpopal]

Yes, Greene visited Valpo on Wednesday after his visits to Northwestern and Bradley. Which of those three would you rather play for?

Greene apparently visited Hofstra today, not sure why: dead last in the Colonial League, rated #301 this past season, and nowhere near Chicago.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

not sure why

two words: NYC.

[valpopal]

Re: "Greene apparently visited Hofstra today, not sure why..."

On the day of Greene's visit, Hofstra announced Friday signing of three new players, including two transfers (one named Green, but not our Greene). Interesting story about the program's situation:

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/10/hofstra-announces-addition-of-niagara-transfers-juanya-green-ameen-tanksley/

"The Hofstra basketball program was in a bad place this past season, with four players being dismissed from the program following their arrests on charges of burglary and other players running into disciplinary issues as well. And that's not even mentioning their on-court struggles, as the Pride managed to win just seven games. That led to the hiring of former Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich, and it's safe to say that the move has already paid dividends...."

[LaPorteAveApostle]

That led to the hiring of former Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich, and it's safe to say that the move has already paid dividends

Wow...now even more reason to hope Bryce never leaves--he could take our players with him! :/

[valpopal]

After visits to BYU and Valpo, transfer Chase Fischer chooses BYU.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I was tempted to say "a Mormon with just one 'm'", but I decided to refrain.

[wh]

According to an article I read the asst at WF that recruited him is now at BYU and convinced him to go there.  He also mentioned that one of the reasons for his diminished playing time this past season was a strategy change by the coaching staff to go with more athletic guards.  That seems to be exactly what Bryce and Roger are recruiting almost exclusively (and what has been lacking in the past) are guards with speed that can create their own shot and also have range.  The last thing this kid would want to do find himself in a similar situation at Valpo.  Probably made a wise choice.