DIPRIMIO: Green Unleashed – Senior Guard Is ‘The Best He’s Been’

By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Unleash Devonte Green.

It sounds intriguing, coming from Indiana coach Archie Miller and his plans for his senior guard. It suggests spectacle, big plays and bigger moments, which could lead to the team postseason success the program has missed in recent seasons.

You just won't hear it from Green.

"It's a good opportunity, and I'm ready to take on that opportunity."

So there you go.

With Green, leave your seat at your own risk. He is capable of lighting up any arena in America, sometimes with jaw dropping plays, sometimes with are-you-kidding me daring.

Miller calls Green, "Our most talented offensive player, without question" and suggests Green will have a green light even when red is the safer option.

"To be able get the most out of him," Miller says, "you're going to have to live with him doing some things at times that probably you would like to take back. But for him to be able to be himself, for him to be able to do it at another level more consistently, he's got to have some more rope."

Rope can be a wonderful thing, except when it comes to getting Green to talk about it.Take, for instance, his response when asked about it for the second time during IU's recent basketball media day.

"I feel like I'm a natural scorer. It's a new opportunity and I'm ready to embrace the opportunity."

Miller expects a full embrace. Yes, Miller is a defensive-minded coach who pushes that concept hard. But with perimeter shooting so much a part of 21^st Century basketball, and with IU in such big need of it, he aims to maximize Green's strength.

That means letting Green be Green.

"There is a delicate balance," Miller says. "He's the type of guy that obviously when he is playing free and confident feels like he can beat the world. You need guys that like, with that type of confidence.

"But there is a detriment when the plays are getting you beat. Where he can respond is that just because there are mistakes or maybe things aren't working well, that doesn't mean that it's not his day. He can come right back on the next round when he gets his opportunity, because he knows he's going to get it. He can get back to business, so to speak, of playing the game.

"He doesn't have to worry about making mistakes. Just move on to the next play. I think he's a guy at times that's hard on himself and sometimes gets down. He lets a bad play or a bad half steamroll the game, or maybe even two, rather than just moving forward to the next play."

Consider Green's early Hoosier years, when he was unsure of himself and allowed his confidence to fluctuate depending on the quality of his play.

He insists he's learned from that. He talks about letting the game come to him rather than forcing something that's not there. He benefits from the insight of older brother Danny Green, a member of Toronto's NBA title squad.

The younger Green is a team co-captain now, a player who sets a winning tone by word and deed, a huge transformation for a guy who nine months ago was suspended for, well, not setting the right tone.

"I've been playing the role pretty well as a leader," he says. "As an older guy, you're naturally looked at as a leader, so I'm doing well so far."

Then he offers a hint at what good leadership and chemistry could mean.

"I think we've built the chemistry well at an early stage. We have a lot of good players, just like we did last year. It will be a sight to see when it all comes into place."

If you want examples of what a dialed-in Green can do, reflect back seven months, when he offered his own version of March Madness with a lights-out late-season display of shot making, moxie and more.

Green torched Ohio State for 26 points on 8-for-10 three-point shooting in the Big Ten tourney. He rocked Arkansas for 15 points and 11 rebounds in the NIT. He scored at least 12 points in his last seven games, and totaled 17 assists in his final four.

"Devonte did finish the season fantastic," Miller says. "If you look at the games that we were able to win towards the end of the season, some of the games that we were able to play, we've always had sort of another perimeter or two perimeter players really kind of play well.

"When he's played well throughout his time with us we've had some great wins."

The 6-3 Green radiates versatility. He's had as many as seven assists, five steals and three blocks in a game. Despite an injury hindered start to last season, he averaged 9.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. His 85 assists were second on the team to Rob Phinisee's 94.

Green is both shooting and point guard, and balancing the two roles takes maturity, vision, good decision making and the biggest factor of all:

Consistency.

"That's what we're looking for," Miller says, "but he's coming into his senior year. Mentally, he is in the best place he's been since I've been here. His five-week pre-season and off-season has been (without distraction) on the floor, and on the off floor in the weight room and conditioning areas, he's hit all-time high marks. He's good there. It's the best he's been."

That best comes the old-fashioned way -- through hard work.

"As far as my shot selection," Green says, "it's taking shots on all different parts of the floor. Getting ready to shoot those shots in a game."

Green, Phinisee and Al Durham will share point-guard duties, but if Miller is right, Green's share will come in limited doses.

"When Devonte needs to score," Miller says, "we have to have the ability to put him in situations where he's a more primary offensive weapon. He's more or a receiver than a facilitator."

Receiving is fine, but creating – and then finishing – takes things to another level.

"Devonte is a talented, talented player," Miller says, "and within those ranges, he's got to be solid. He's a smart guy. He understands this is his last go. Hopefully he has the humility to understand that how he finished last year is a by-product of him staying with it. Hopefully he uses that as a driving force this year."

That drive will go public during Saturday's Hoosier Hysteria presented by Smithville at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The event, set to start at 4 p.m. will include a ceremony honoring former IU All-America Calbert Cheaney, the Big Ten career scoring leader.

That's a prelude to a season rich in promise. Indiana won 16 games in Miller's first year, 19 in his second. The push is on to challenge for a conference championship and go deep in the NCAA tourney.

For that to happen, Green must play as if he's the best player on the court, every night.

"I think he can play with anybody," Miller says, "and we're going to need him to."

DIPRIMIO: Green Unleashed – Senior Guard Is ‘The Best He’s Been’

Players Mentioned

Aljami Durham

Devonte Green

Rob Phinisee

Indiana University Athletics