Sophomore starter lending veteran experience in second season

By: Tehya Tournier

As Austin Green steps into the gym filled with hundreds of CF basketball fans, he finishes his last few Skittles as is his tradition since last year, and he takes in the crowd’s energy. All that is on his mind is to put everything else aside and focus on getting the dub.

“I first decided basketball was a priority in about seventh grade because I knew that if I wanted to be good, I would have to put the time in,” Green said. “I want to play for as long as I can because it’s what I love to do.”

Green started playing organized basketball at the age of four after his parents, Kyle and Michele, signed him up for league, and it “took off from there.”  Last year Green started as a freshman for the Tigers, and he is starting again in his sophomore year.

“Last year as a freshman it was different from this year because this year I know I have a bigger role and have to be a leader, but last year I sort of felt like I was just playing my role and not really being a leader. Both are great experiences and a lot of fun, though,” Green said.

Green has also been invited to multiple camps. In his most recent camp, he attended the John Lucas Midwest Invitational in Louisville, Ky.

This summer he was invited to the Crossroads Elite Invitational in Indianapolis, and he was supposed to go to the Nebraska Elite camp but couldn’t after he broke his wrist.

Green said there is a lot of competition, and it also is very intense. The sophomore explained that he has received letters of interest from Virginia, Stanford, Iowa, Nebraska, UNI and Western Illinois, and he has gone on visits to Nebraska and Minnesota.

“After high school, I want to play Division 1 college basketball and then play professionally, whether that be in the NBA or somewhere in Europe.”

Green said he is doing everything he can to reach his dreams. “I want to achieve my goals of being the best I can be and earning a scholarship, so to do that I know I have to put the time in when other people aren’t,” Green said.

He said he gets his inspiration and motivation from his father. His dad is always dropping inspirational quotes or advice that helps keep him moving to become great. Green said he looks up to his parents because they have always supported him.

“My biggest role models that don’t play basketball would probably be my parents because they are always showing me the right path, and they always give it their best effort no matter what they are doing,” Green said.

Green also plays for the Iowa Barnstormers travel team, but it is very different from high school basketball. “High school and travel ball are very different because with high school you practice every day and are always working with your team, but for AAU we rarely practice, and we just show up to tournaments and have to play, so they are different, but both are very fun,” he said.

As the season continues, Green said that their team goals are to get better every single day and to do the little things that great teams do. He said it is also a big goal to make it to the state tournament, but whenever he wakes up on a game day, it’s a great feeling because he gets to go out and do what he loves.

“I continue to play because I love competing and the thrill of adrenaline in big games. If I didn’t play basketball, I think I would feel bored and not really know what to do with all my free time.”