Spartans add more Green

SAGINAW - Draymond Green has been a Michigan State fan for so long, he remembers "being scared of Sparty," he said here Thursday.

As a toddler, Green would watch his aunt, Annette Babers, star for the MSU women's team at Breslin Center. Starting in 2008, he'll wear the same colors on the same floor.

Green, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound power forward, announced his decision to play for MSU in a news conference in the Saginaw High gymnasium. He picked the Spartans over offers from Michigan and Indiana.

"I've always loved MSU, and there's a big tradition there with (Flint players) and Jason Richardson from Saginaw," Green said. "But that wasn't a factor in my decision. It was about who's going there now and how I fit in."

Green completes MSU's 2008 class, which also includes 6-8 power forward Delvon Roe of Euclid, Ohio, and 5-10 guard Korie Lucious of Milwaukee. A third scholarship became available when guard Maurice Joseph transferred to Vermont.

Roe is a consensus top-10 player nationally according to recruiting analysts, while Lucious and Green are both in the top 100. Scout.com ranks Green No. 72 overall, while Rivals.com has him at No. 78.

If all three sign during the November early signing period, they likely will be ranked as a national top-10 class - following MSU's top-10 class of 2007, guards Chris Allen, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers.

Izzo and his staff can now turn their attention for the rest of the summer to what could be a massive 2009 haul.

"What happens now is, MSU puts itself in a position to do a lot of chasing this summer of young kids," said Scout.com recruiting analyst Dave Telep. "To be a summer ahead, to have a nice class in place and be able to go out hunting, is a considerable recruiting advantage."

MSU can bring in at least four players in 2009, and is in on top prospects such as guard Dexter Strickland (Elizabeth, N.J.); forwards Jamil Wilson (Racine, Wisc.) and Richard Howell (Lawrenceville, Ga.); and Detroit big men DaShonte Riley and Donovan Kirk.

In the meantime, the Spartans will be stocked for the next couple seasons. Green, who scored 22.5 points a game as a junior and led Saginaw High to the Class A state title, will join a deep frontcourt in 2008.

He projects as a power forward in college, although he has guard-like passing and handling skills. He also projects to be a four-year player - and there will be a need up front in 2009 after Marquise Gray, Goran Suton and Idong Ibok depart.

"You can measure him and stat him and chart him, but in my opinion he gets a lot done because of his intangibles, and I think once he gets in shape he helps your program," Telep said of Green.

"Offensively, he will provide matchup issues for opponents," said PrepSpotlight.com recruiting analyst Sam Hosey Jr., who ranks Green the No. 1 player in the state in 2008. "MSU can run a lot of pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop plays with him.

"I haven't been able to come up with one player he reminds me of. He can handle, shoot and he makes plays. He's a playmaking power forward, and I've never really seen that before."

How Green fits in defensively is a bigger question. But he said he's committed to improving his game, strengthening his body and competing for playing time right away.

"I can play multiple positions," said Green, who has qualified academically. "I can play (small forward) or (power forward), I see myself fitting in. Everybody says 'Izzo ball' like it's a dictatorship."

Saginaw High coach Lou Dawkins said the MSU coaching staff sold Green on the idea that he'll be a valuable asset in a fast-breaking style of play, in which he can use his varied skills.

Green originally committed to Kentucky, but that changed when Tubby Smith departed for Minnesota in the spring. Michigan made a "huge push," he said, and Indiana was close as well, but he couldn't resist when MSU offered late in the spring.

Before plopping an MSU hat on his head, Green thanked everyone from his parents to his nursery school - then talked about a choice he was ready to make in nursery school.

"I hope everyone here is happy with my decision," he said. "And if not, I had to go with my heart and what it's telling me."

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