FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 6, 2020) – It took just
six seconds for
Jay Green to display the type of impact he can have on a game.
The date is Feb. 22, 2020 and UNLV is clinging to a four-point lead against No. 4 San Diego State on the road with just over a minute remaining on the clock. Green, then a member of the Runnin' Rebels, switches onto San Diego State's Malachi Flynn at the top of the key.
Flynn, an eventual All-American and the 2019-20 Mountain West Player of the Year, dribbles to his right before crossing over to his left, yet he's unable to shake Green, who stonewalls Flynn into a turnover. UNLV winds up holding on for a 66-63 victory, handing San Diego State its first loss of the season.
"(Flynn) was a great player and a huge focus on the scouting report," Green said. "We had a lot of respect for him going into the game. At that point of the game, I didn't want to foul and I didn't want to give up an easy bucket. I got put on an island with him and just had to play one-on-one and we ended up getting the stop."
Two months later, Green would transfer to Northern Arizona. Despite playing only 11 minutes off the bench – and not scoring a point nor attempting a shot from the field – in the upset of the Aztecs, it was his defensive play late that stands out.
It is that defensive mentality that has Northern Arizona men's basketball head coach
Shane Burcar excited about the team's graduate transfer, who has two years of eligibility remaining.
"He'll guard (our opponent's) best scoring guard," Burcar said. "With his size and strength, I don't know if you're going to see that in the Big Sky night in and night out. I think he has a legitimate chance to be a Player of the Year defensively. If we need to limit someone's shots, Jay will do that. He's up for that challenge."
Green's move from Las Vegas to Flagstaff marks a return to the state of Arizona. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Green moved to Arizona prior to his senior year in high school when his father got a job opportunity.
Upon arrival in the states, Green enrolled at Mountain Ridge High School, where he averaged 24 points per game and earned Division I All-State Second Team and All-Region First Team honors. It was during that season that Burcar was first familiarized with Green, who scored 23 points in a victory against Burcar's Mesa High School team.
"I knew Jay a little bit from Mountain Ridge High School and competing against him," Burcar said. "I liked his demeanor, even as a 17, 18-year old senior. When his name came up in the transfer portal, I talked to his head coach at UNLV – a good friend of mine – Coach (T.J.) Otzelberger and he had nothing but great things to say about Jay."
Although Green was a driving force behind Mountain Ridge's Division I state tournament appearance in 2016, an ankle injury late in his senior year put his college plans on hold. Instead, he took a post-grad year at Phoenix's prep powerhouse Hillcrest Prep where he posted a second consecutive strong season with averages of 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists per game.
Green parlayed that season into a commitment to UNLV, where he appeared in 15 games as a true freshman on the Runnin' Rebels' 20-win team in 2017-18.
After playing just 4.1 minutes per contest in his initial season at UNLV, Green wound up redshirting the following season. The redshirt season was necessary according to Green, who notes that the pace and the athleticism of the game in America was a contrast to the game he was accustomed to in Australia.
"Everyone was so athletic over here," Green said. "Australia plays more like a European style – slower and a lot more fundamental. But here, I loved playing in transition. I tested the waters my freshman year (at UNLV) and got a feel for where I was at. I got a gauge for what I needed to work on and used that redshirt year to get where I wanted to be."
The year to develop also proved to be crucial as UNLV's coaching staff turned over to Otzelberger ahead of the 2019-20 season. After seeing limited minutes, once again, throughout most of last season, Green carved out a role down the stretch around his trademark defensive skillset.
"I just wanted to find a role," Green said. "The easiest way to do that was defensively, so I started to try to brand myself as a defensive stopper on that team. It was a need that we had and I just tried to fill that gap as best I could. We were winning games and I was happy."
In UNLV's final six games – a stretch that included the road win against San Diego State – Green averaged 15.8 minutes per game as the Runnin' Rebels compiled a 5-1 record. Still, Green took just four shots from the deck and scored seven points during that six-game stretch, which only amplified his impact on the other end of the court.
The oldest son of parents who both played professionally in Australia, Green grew up around the sport. It was at his earliest stages of learning the game that Green learned the defensive fundamentals that have fueled his way to NAU.
"I was taught the fundamentals at a young age and (defense is something) that over time, you get better at," Green said. "The more film you watch, the more games you play, it's something you naturally get better. There's definitely an intentional side to it where you do need to put in the work to see results."
Now a Lumberjack, and just one of five upperclassmen on this year's roster, Green has already made an impact in the gym with the hope that his perimeter defense will bolster an NAU team that was middle of the pack of the Big Sky last season in scoring defense, field goal defense and three-point defense during conference play.
"Jay has made an immediate impact," Burcar said. "We told him 'you're not coming here to feel everybody out.' We wanted his presence known immediately and he has done that in a positive way. He leads by example because of his work ethic and he's being vocal with the guys and I couldn't be happier with the addition of Jay to the program."
Green's hallmark may always be on the defensive end, but early preseason indications could be a sign of an all-around game that might thrust the 6-5 redshirt junior guard into the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year conversation come the end of the season.
Working tirelessly on his three-point shooting, a trait he exhibited in high school, Green's offensive contributions may just be scratching the surface.
"We want to win games and I'm going to help do that in any way I can," Green said. "Obviously I've come in branded as a defensive player, but offensively I think I will be just as much of a problem. I think I can help get a lot of guys open with good shots by passing and shooting is something I've really worked on here. Offensively, I think I'll be able to help the team win games as well."
"We want Jay to be
Jay Green and play with that confidence," Burcar added. "That's not to say he didn't (at UNLV), but he has a bigger role here and he can use his skills that he's been working on since he learned the game."
Whether Green is tasked with making a game-winning defensive stop or knocking down a game-winner, it won't take Lumberjack fans long to notice him on the court.
In fact, it could just take a few seconds.
