Green starting to get major attention

One of the fastest-rising junior college guards is Tyrone Green. Green plays on a loaded Southeastern Illinois Community College team, which features numerous high-major recruits. While Green has always had a lot of potential, his poor shooting always held him back from reaching that significant potential. Recently that has changed, and Green is receiving a lot of high-major attention.

Backcourt players with good size, quickness, and the ability to defend are always important to college coaches. Taller guards are always in demand, especially guards who are capable of playing the point guard position. Tyrone Green is a perfect example of a big bodied guard who can run the point. Green is a legitimate 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. That size allows him to get into the lane and score, and it makes him a tough matchup on the defensive end.

"I like Tyrone a lot. It is really difficult for us to find big, strong, monster type of point guards," Green's coach Todd Franklin said. "He played the four (power forward) in high school. He played like Barkley, but we saw some things that made us believe he was a point guard. He could dribble, he could pass the ball really well, but he wasn't a great shooter."

Green's lack of a perimeter jumper really held him back during his recruiting out of high school. He was flat out a terrible shooter. Franklin thought with a little work he could turn him into a decent shooter. Midway through the season, after trying everything imaginable to help his shooting, Franklin came up with a crazy idea.

"I kind of feel stupid telling this story, but it's true. He is walking around here writing left handed, eating left handed, heck he was even walking left handed, but he was playing basketball right handed. One day with only about five or six games left in the season, we had a no jump shot rule for him, but he was still a good player. At the end of practice one day, I asked Tyrone 'Can you shoot it left handed?' He said yes. Immediately he became an average shooter. He wasn't great, but he was a lot better than he was."

"Since then, he has really blown up. He is a really hot topic on the recruiting trail, and he is going to get hotter. I really do not know how good he is going to be, but he is definitely a high-major guy," Franklin said.

With the improved shot, college coaches have been asking Franklin what they have to do get on Green's list. At the moment Green is receiving the most attention from UNLV, Fresno State, Tennessee, and Xavier, but Franklin expects his stock to soar as the season progresses.

Academically, Green is in great shape. Green carries a 3.6 grade point average, and is on pace to graduate with no problem.

As with all of the Southeastern Illinois players, he will make his decision during the late signing period. Until then, Franklin is looking forward to watching Green progress into a high-major quality point guard.

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