It was at the All-Star game of the Rock Summer League in 2003 when Georgetown Prep’s Roy Hibbert first talked to Northwestern High’s Jeff Green about playing basketball together in college.
“I sat down next to him — I had seen him before, jumping through the air, he could jump extremely well — and I said, ‘Why don’t you come to Georgetown? I heard your decision is between Maryland and Georgetown,’” Hibbert said. “We could have some fun.”
Oh, how prophetic Big Roy was. The good times continue as the two juniors lead the Hoyas against Ohio State on Saturday in Georgetown’s first Final Four appearance since 1985.
“It’s been fun, just seeing where the program was to where it is now,” said Green. “It’s a great feeling just to be a part of this team … It’s what you dream about, and it’s reality now. We just gotta finish it off.”
Hibbert’s impending battle with Ohio State’s Greg Oden dominates the headlines. But the Hoyas’ return to national prominence has been fueled by Green’s decision to attend Georgetown and his emergence as one of the country’s best players.
Green’s high school coach, former Northwestern High coach Tony Dickens, saw Green similarly break out that summer at High Point and lead the Wildcats to a Maryland state title in 2004. Dickens still vividly remembers Green’s first day of tryouts as a sophomore.
“From coaching for 20 years, you see kids that have what I call, ‘It.’ You can’t describe ‘It.’ It’s sort of innate,” said Dickens, now coach at Northwood High. “He was just totally different from the other kids.
“He was 6-foot-5, kind of skinny, and he had the perfectshot. He kind of stood out that way, and he was always cerebral on the court. You’d tell him things once, and he picked up on it.”
Green’s understanding of the game and the work it takes to reach its highest level began at an early age. As a teenager, he was an AAU teammate of Folarin Campbell, a Springbrook High alum who helped George Mason advance to the 2006 Final Four.
“Me and [Campbell], we knew that we were going to be great players, but we knew it would take time,” said Green. “I always knew that it would happen, I just didn’t know when.”
Green’s unselfish play has endeared him to basketball purists, and his personality, similar to that of Campbell last year, also has made him a favorite off the court.
“So many people rooted for [Campbell] because he’s a nice kid,” said former Springbrook coach Keith Adams. “He didn’t do anything stupid, anything dumb. He wasn’t arrogant. That’s the same thing you say about Jeff. He’s just a nice kid, and you just want to root for him. ‘Go get ’em, Jeff. Go ahead and handle it. Represent the area well.’ That’s what he’s doing.”
