ASU's head coach Bobby Hurley is considered by many the best college basketball point guard ever to lace them up. As the all-time assist leader who also won two national championships, suffice to say that his credibility in recruiting the guard position is significant. For Castaic (Calif.) Southern California Academy guard Braelon Green, that was one element that greatly resonated and led to his ledge to the Sun Devils.
“I like the relationship between me and the coaching staff, and on that visit, that place felt like home,” Green said. “Seeing guys like Lu Dort and Josh Cristopher in the league for sure makes an impression. Because seeing people in my position play at the level that I want to go to, that’s important. Knowing what coach Hurley has done at Arizona State and also at Buffalo, just the way he lets his guards play, that’s important. For sure.
“I really wanted to play for a coach who believes in me and can help me get to the next level, and I also wanted to go somewhere where if I can’t make it to the next level that will support me and help me in life. I like how ASU has a lot of resources outside of basketball because basketball is going to stop one day. I know that if you want to start a business, they will help you start that. They have a lot of resources and people who want to help you be successful in life. That stood out for sure.”
Another element that has aided Arizona State in its pursuit of Green was the fact that attended Glendale (Ariz.) Dream City during his 11th-grade season, and he was on the Tempe campus some 30 miles away several times before his official visit over Labor Day weekend.
“ASU has been recruiting me since the 10th grade,” Green commented. “(ASU assistant) Coach Jermaine Kimbrough and I have a good relationship, and I also have a good relationship with coach Hurley. Coach Kimbrough has always kept it real with me. He’s been original, and he has stuck to his word. He’s been recruiting me probably the longest of any coach in any school, and that matters to me for sure. I didn’t know how down to earth coach Hurley was off the court. He is a really, really cool person to be around. But once he’s on the court, the switch changes, but that’s fine.”
“Being there on campus, it was a different vibe than the other (unofficial ASU) visits. I got to see more; we got to tour the whole Tempe area. And that was really, really cool for me because I didn’t know what it was gonna be like. I like the city of Tempe and its diversity. “
Green is an explosive guard who utilizes his compact frame to play at a high level of aggression on both ends of the court. He’s an effective pull-up jump shooter who also has a formidable court vision.
“I like their (ASU’s) style of play,” Green noted. “I watched the highlights of their guards have done there in the past, and then they (the ASU coaches) put my highlights in a side-by-side comparison and showed me how I would fit in the system. Coach Hurley sees me as a combo guard and said that I’m the type of guard who can score on three levels and can play good defense. Him playing as a point guard and him being in a position that I want to go to in the future, I think that can help me for sure.
“I talked to some players on the team like (ASU guards) Luther Muhammad and Frankie Collins, and they told me how coaches let players play and have full confidence in them. him. They said that if you work hard, they have no problems playing you at all.”
Green was planning official visits to Nebraska ad NC State over the next few weeks but will now not take them due to his decision. The guard who plans to sign in the November signing period is the second addition to Arizona State’s 2023 recruiting class and joins fellow four-star prospect and 6-8 forward Akil Watson, who is a Top-100 recruit.
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