Green quietly emerging this season

Georgia is loaded with big man talent in the class of 2007 and while a trio of the top towers are already committed, there continues to be a growing number of prospects popping up. The latest big man to emerge from the Peach State is Ladaris Green.

While the 6-foot-9, 175-pound big man from Savannah (Ga.) Beach High School may not have the notoriety that J.J. Hickson, Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech), Jeremy Price (Georgia) and Martavius Adams (Georgia), he is putting together a strong junior campaign worth noting.

Green recorded a triple double in the sectional round of the state playoffs last week. That doesn't surprise Beach head coach Frank Williams.

"He plays like he's 6-9. A lot of big guys sometimes have a tendency to play like they are 5-9," Frank Williams said. "The thing that impresses me the most is how he stayed out of foul trouble (last week against Houston County)."

While he is nowhere near a finished product on the offensive side of the ball, Green is a very good interior post player on the defensive end. He blocked 12 shots and altered about eight others all the while keeping himself out of foul trouble, being tagged just twice. Green is more of a timing shot-blocker and is effective on the help side.

"That is what I love doing, rebounding and blocking shots," Green said. "I only score when I need to score. My team needs me to hold down the middle and that is what I do."

High-major schools are catching word of Green, who said Florida, Florida State, South Carolina and Virginia are recruiting him early on. Still very open in the process, Green will be one to watch in the spring on the AAU circuit.

His biggest and strongest match-up of the year comes on Thurs., March 2 when he matches up with Hickson and Wheeler High School.