Kentucky lands five-star point guard Quade Green
MORE: Wildcats No. 1 in team recruiting rankings | Analysis - Green picks Kentucky
The decision is in for five-star point guard Quade Green, and he made Saturday night special for a program used to recruiting excellence.
During a Midnight Madness type event at Philadelphia (Pa.) Neumann-Goretti, the six-foot senior, who ranks No. 23 in the class of 2017, announced that he will play his college basketball at Kentucky.
The decision ended a pretty intense recruitment between the Wildcats and Syracuse that featured some swings over the past few months. In the end, though, John Calipari got his man and with the addition of Green the Wildcats will move to No. 1 in the team rankings.
Green played his summer ball with the PSA Cardinals in Nike's EYBL, and PSA assistant Mark Carter says the Wildcats are getting a winner.
"He will bring the contagious effect of winning basketball games and most of all making his teammates better," said Carter. "He's an extension of a head coach with his leadership and command of his teammates."
Compared to point guards that John Calipari has landed in the past, Green is a little bit of a departure. He doesn't have the unusual size of a Tyreke Evans or the blazing athleticism of a John Wall, Derrick Rose or De'Aaron Fox. He's also different than Tyler Ulis, who had well above average quickness. He's actually more similar to former Duke point guard Tyus Jones.
Green will push the tempo when given the opportunity and he is capable of being a good scorer with a jumper that keeps defenders honest. What he does best, though, is is get others involved and make those around him better. He's constantly probing defenses and he's a patient ball handler who doesn't take risks and waits to pounce on his opponents mistakes.
"Quade Green is a true point guard," said Carter. "He's a winner, floor general and very passionate about the game of basketball. He's made a dynamic change from once being relied upon as a scorer to now being one of the most sought after point guards in the country."
Kentucky's third five-star prospect from the class of 2017, Green joins five-star forward P.J. Washington and five-star center Nick Richards in Kentucky's top ranked class. Also in the mix is four-star guard Shai Alexander who can play the point or shooting guard positions.
