A.J. Green, a 6-foot-3 junior shooting guard from Cedar Falls (IA) High, is one of the top shooters in the Class of 2018. Green, who received a scholarship offer from Minnesota earlier this season, scored 41 points with eight three-pointers in an 85-77 loss to Hopkins December 3rd.
Green averaged 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game as a sophomore, while shooting 47% from the field, 44% from three-point range and 90% from the charity stripe.
Scout.com rates Green as a four-star recruit and the No. 87 player in the 2018 class.
Green’s father, Kyle, is a Northern Iowa assistant and he has a Panther offer, but that hasn’t stopped other teams from recruiting the talented shooter.
Cedar Falls coach Ryan Schultz is a big believer in his young standout.
“He wants the ball in crucial situations, and he plays his best in big games,” Schultz recently told the Des Moines Register. “That’s a very special characteristic in a young player.”
“He can flat out score in multiple ways, with range,” Schultz said. “The great thing about A.J. is that he has all the intangibles to go with the basketball ability. He’s a great leader, fiercely competitive, self-driven and intelligent. He’s really the whole package.”
Gopher Hole caught up with Gopher Hole event to talk about the latest on his recruitment and upcoming season.
Gopher Hole: You had a big game playing against some good competition, a team that won the Minnesota Class 4A title. Do you like playing against those tough teams that are going to help you get better and better?
A.J. Green: Yes. I definitely looked forward to this game. This is going to help our team a lot. Definitely made us a lot tougher. Also, gives us some confidence that we can hang with these good teams.
Gopher Hole: Is it a little different playing Minnesota rules because you have 18 minutes halves as opposed to eight minute quarters and usually the scoring is higher, too?
A.J. Green: It is a lot differently, actually. You get a little more tired. You don’t get that break every eight minutes, but I felt that our team was in pretty good condition, so I think it helped us.
Gopher Hole: You made it to the state tournament last year and advanced to the semifinals, where you lost to Iowa City West, one of the best teams in the state the past few years. What are the expectations for this year?
A.J. Green: We definitely want to make it back there and just continue to improve a little bit every single day.
Gopher Hole: Do you have most of your starters back from last year?
A.J. Green: We only have two starters back from last year, so we are actually pretty young. We had four sophomores who played today, but I think that once they get some experience, they can definitely helps us a lot down the road.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on recruitment right now? How many offers are you up to?
A.J. Green: Four offers from Minnesota, UNI, North Dakota and South Dakota State.
Gopher Hole: What others schools are you hearing from besides those schools?
A.J. Green: I am hearing a lot from Nebraska. I recently talked to Stanford a little bit. Iowa State. Wisconsin, also a little, too.
Gopher Hole: Did you get a chance to go to many college football games this fall?
A.J. Green: This fall, I went to a Minnesota and a Wisconsin game. That was really neat to see those campuses.
Gopher Hole: Which Minnesota and Wisconsin games did you go to?
A.J. Green: In October, I went down to Minnesota for the Colorado State game. I went to Wisconsin, but don’t remember who they played.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, your dad is a coach. How much do you think that helps you as a player having a dad, who is also a coach?
A.J. Green: That helps a lot. I get a lot more experience. I definitely have a good feel for the game, just being around it, growing up all the time.
Gopher Hole: Is that tough at times?
A.J. Green: It is kind of tough, a little bit.
Gopher Hole: Is that where you got your love of the game?
A.J. Green: Definitely. He introduced me to basketball when I was really young and I just loved it ever since.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to have the opportunity to play college basketball?
A.J. Green: That’s my dream. Just play Division I college basketball. I just know that I have to keep working hard and I should be able to get that.
Gopher Hole: Do schools ever wonder though with him being at UNI, I’m sure that they want to recruit you, but do some of them wonder how hard they should recruit you?
A.J. Green: I have definitely had some schools ask me that question like “Are you going to go there, 100%.” It makes it kind of tough, I guess.
Gopher Hole: What do you say to them?
A.J. Green: I usually just tell them that I love UNI. It is a great school. I loved it my whole life, but I kind of also want to look at some other schools, too and keep my options open.
Gopher Hole: You were at a Minnesota football game last year. When did they offer you?
A.J. Green: They offered me when I was up on the visit, when I went to the football game, the Colorado State game.
Gopher Hole: Were you surprised by the timing of it all?
A.J. Green: I was a little surprised, to be honest. I wasn’t really expecting that 100%.
Gopher Hole: What are the Gophers saying to you?
A.J. Green: They say they really like how I play and they like my length and how I can create shots for myself and others.
Gopher Hole: You live in Iowa, but you have a lot of Minnesota ties with your grandfather living here and your dad growing up here. What would it mean to maybe have the chance to play for the Gophers?
A.J. Green: That would be really nice. That would be close to home. It’s only about three hours away and I have family up here. They would be able to come to the games and support me, so that would mean a lot.
Gopher Hole: What things have you really been working on to continue to improve yourself as a basketball player?
A.J. Green: I have been working on getting stronger, so I can get to the hoop and be able to finish around the rim. Get to the free throw line, also. This isn’t really on the court, but just becoming a better leader for my teammates.
Gopher Hole: You still have two years of high school basketball left, but have you even thought about when you would try to make a college decision?
A.J. Green: I haven’t really thought into that far yet.
Gopher Hole: What are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B or C?
A.J. Green: Definitely a good relationship with the players and the coaching staff. That will be huge for me. Also, just a team that wins games and just a good school, too. A good education for me.