With an NU offer in hand, Green is already on the fast track
Millard North’s first workouts of the 2019-20 season felt unlike any others the program, and most any other school in the state, had ever seen.
Coaches from 31 Division I schools from around the country flocked in to see the Mustangs’ impressive collection of talent over a span of just six weeks this fall, specifically 2021 top-50 recruit Hunter Sallis and 2020 four-star Stanford signee Max Murrell.
But there were also plenty of eyes on one of the younger members of Millard North’s roster, as 2022 forward Jasen Green is quickly emerging as the state of Nebraska’s next coveted high-major prospect.
The 6-foot-7, 215-pound sophomore already owns an offer from Fred Hoiberg and Nebraska, and plenty more high-majors are expected to follow suit over the next couple of years.
“He’s got so much potential for what he’s going to be three years from now,” MNHS head coach Tim Cannon said.
Hoiberg and NU’s three full-time assistants were all in the stands to watch Green and Sallis play at Lincoln High last week, and Green said he’d been in regular contact with the Huskers since picking up his first DI offer back in June.
“It meant the world to me like,” Green said of earning his NU offer. “Since I started playing basketball, I've just been working towards this. A college scholarship is like the main thing that I wanted to get. So that just means the world…
“It means the world to me that they offered me first because I grew up here, I grew up watching them play. Now that Hoiberg is there, he’s bringing a whole new level of game to Nebraska. It’s definitely going to be a different team, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Because of Millard North’s wealth of post depth, Green has been able to play on the perimeter this season much more than typical 6-7 Nebraska kids, which should help continue to develop his shooting and ball handling.
Cannon noted that Green had already grown two inches over the past year, so his frame could very well get even bigger by the time he’s ready to sign as a senior.
“He’s just so multifaceted,” Cannon said. “So I think he’s fitting in really, really well. He can pass it, he can handle it, and he can rebound. Last year, there were games he rebounded like a college guy, and he was just a freshman in high school. That's pretty good.”
While he’s the third or fourth option for the Mustangs this season, Green has seen significant value in playing on such a loaded roster and competing against guys like Sallis and Murrell daily.
He said he learned right away that he needed to put just as much work into the weight room as he did on the court.
“Last year, during the season, I was definitely weak,” Green said. “Looking back, I can realize how weak I was. But this year I’ve put on a lot of muscle, so I can bully people easily. During the summer, I play with MoKan (Elite) and that's an EYBL team, so it's a really good program to be with. We play against their older teams and that just makes me better, just like playing against Hunter and Max.
“So all year round I'm being challenged, and I'm just getting better and better.”
Because of his rapid development and strong academics, Cannon said Stanford had already inquired about Green. Creighton, Iowa, and Iowa State have shown early interest as well.
His recruitment will only continue to heat up going forward, and that’s why Green has been paying close attention to how Murrell and Sallis have handled being in the basketball spotlight.
“I can ask them like any questions that I need to know because they're obviously there for me,” Green said. “They're really good teammates, so if I have anything I need to know I can ask Max, because he's already got through it, and I can ask Hunter too because he’s currently going through it. They're just really, really helpful.”