Georgia sophomore is on the rise

An important part of making a name for yourself as a prospect is taking advantage of an opportunity. That's exactly what Brannen Greene has managed to do so far this spring.

A 6-foot-7 sophomore wing from Forsyth (Ga.) Mary Persons, Greene started his spring with the Southern Kings 16-and-under team. But, he was quickly moved up to the 17U squad and while he's capitalized on the move, he's noticed big differences.

"Playing 16 and under it was kind of easy, maybe because the kids there don't realize how important it is," Greene told Rivals.com. "On the 17-and-under level, every game is something to prove for those guys because this summer is their last chance. Guys are stronger and every game is a little tougher. I think it's going to help me improve."

In addition to possessing outstanding size for a wing, Greene is an accurate shooter from deep and boasts good athleticism.

"I think I'm pretty versatile," said Greene of his game. "My ballhandling and my shooting are my strong points. From last year I've grown a lot. I used to be like 6-foot-2, but now I've got length to help me so I don't have to be as fast or quick because of my length."

While he's got the size and shooting range, Greene is working to improve other aspects of his game.

"I probably need to work on my defensive intensity," said Greene. "I'm also always trying to get smarter about the game, I want to improve my game. Just watching, analyzing and, from playing experience, improving small, little things."

Though he's only a sophomore, Greene saw plenty of programs come through to see him during the spring.

"This spring I had Marquette, Alabama, Florida State, Georgia Tech was out a lot, Virginia, Wake Forest, South Carolina," said Greene of his visitors. "There were a lot of schools."

Lately, even more programs have expressed interest as Ohio State, Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Connecticut, Florida, Providence, Xavier, Arkansas and others have said that they plan to watch him during July.

"It's humbling and it makes me want to keep working. I want to have offers from all of these schools," Greene said of the attention. "It's fun, but I have to put that aside and work. I've got to get better."

Rather than drag out the recruiting process, Greene said that he's more likely to end things early. He and his dad are hoping that he can make his pick before the start of his junior season.

"Me and my dad talked about at the end of July we want to try and have it narrowed down to five schools," Greene said. "From there, I'd like to try and take some visits and maybe make a decision before my junior high school season."