Jalen Green
Quick Facts
Biography
Jalen Romande Green (born February 9, 2002) is an American basketball player. He is expected to enter the NBA G League professional pathway instead of playing college basketball. Green was a consensus five-star recruit and the top shooting guard in the 2020 class, according to major recruiting services, and was ranked number one overall by ESPN. In high school, he played for San Joaquin Memorial High School and Prolific Prep in California.
Early life
Green was born in Merced, California. He grew up in Merced and Livingston, California, his mother's hometown. When Green was in third grade, he moved with his family to Fresno, California. By sixth grade, he was playing Amateur Athletic Union basketball and practicing for five hours each day.
High school career
In his first three years of high school, Green played basketball for San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno. As a freshman, he was a full-time starter and averaged 18.1 points and nine rebounds per game. His team finished as CIF Central Section Division II runners-up and CIF Division II quarterfinalists. He earned MaxPreps Freshman All-American second team and CIF Central Section rookie of the year honors. In his sophomore season, Green averaged 27.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, leading San Joaquin Memorial to a Central Section Division II title and the CIF Open Division playoffs. He was named MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year and made the USA Today All-USA California second team.
As a junior with San Joaquin Memorial, Green averaged 33 points, eight rebounds, and five assists per game. He won his second straight Central Division II championship. In the title game, Green surpassed the school career scoring record of 2,288 held by Roscoe Pondexter since 1971. He also helped his team reach the CIF Northern California Division I quarterfinals. Green was named USA Today All-USA California player of the year and appeared on the All-USA second team and MaxPreps All-American second team.
On March 7, 2019, Green announced that he was transferring to Prolific Prep in Napa, California for his senior season. He helped his team win the Grind Session championship. Green averaged 31.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and five assists per game, leading his team to a 31–3 record. He was named Sports Illustrated All-American player of the year and to the MaxPreps All-American first team. Green was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, but all three games were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Recruiting
Green is a consensus five-star recruit and the number one shooting guard in the 2020 recruiting class, according to major recruiting services 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. He is ranked as the top recruit in his class by ESPN. He received offers from many NCAA Division I basketball programs, including Fresno State, Arizona, Florida State, and USC, before turning 15 years old. On April 16, 2020, Green announced that he would enter the NBA G League professional pathway program, forgoing college basketball.
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalen Green SG | Fresno, CA | Prolific Prep (CA) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | — | ||
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 2 247Sports: 3 ESPN: 1 | |||||||
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National team career
Green has represented the United States in multiple FIBA junior tournaments, but he has also shown interest in playing for the Philippine national team in the future due to his Filipino background.
Green made his national team debut for the United States at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Formosa, Argentina. In five games, he averaged 9.8 points, two rebounds, and one steal per game, helping his team win the gold medal. He was named most valuable player (MVP) of the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup in Argentina after averaging a team-high 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game and winning the gold medal. Green won another gold medal with the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Heraklion, Greece. As the youngest member of his team, he averaged 10.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.
Personal life
Green's mother, Bree Purganan, is a nurse. He is of Filipino descent through his mother. His stepfather, Marcus Green, was a basketball teammate of NBA player DeShawn Stevenson at Washington Union High School in Fresno.