Aussie SG On UNC Radar

Australian native Josh Green is one of the best Australian prospects in the last decade. The 6-5 junior who plays with IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, is the 16th rated junior in the USA according to Rivals.com.

And now, his interest in being recruited by North Carolina is being reciprocated by the staff in Chapel Hill.

THI confirmed the news with his AAU director, Ryan Silver, as well as his high school coach, Sean McAloon.

McAloon says that Green has always wanted to be on the UNC radar. And the 41-year old coach had actually reached out to the UNC coaches about him.

"They didn’t know much about him in terms of him,” McAloon said. “They knew he was a very good player but wanted to invest time getting to know Josh, his family."

McAloon believes that Green is a great fit for UNC.

"More or less, I’ve had some really good players since Ed Davis and hadn’t reached out due to fit and how they play," he said. “This is the first time in which I’d reached out, a kid that fits their style and has loved UNC since he was young. Josh told me that ever since he was young he was drawn to UNC. Always loved how they played."

McAloon, who used to coach in Richmond, VA, was the head coach at Benedictine when Davis played there. So he knows how the Tar Heels like to play and what kind of kids they recruit.

THI watched Green in Raleigh over the winter holidays and thought he looked great. We were impressed with his athleticism, aggressive scoring moves and his overall skill set as a wing. He was also strong, versatile and seemed very engaged on defense.

His coach concurs and adds more detail. Especially in regard to his mind for the game and work ethic.

"Josh is a fantastic athlete, who possesses a transition game that is unmatched, most people put him in that box,” McAloon said. “However, for us his basketball IQ is one of the best I’ve seen. He shoots it much better than anyone gives him credit for. Match all of that with the burning desire to be the best and back it up by getting in the gym to be the best and you’ve got a special player."

As far as the next steps in his development, McAloon thinks he can work on a couple of skills to make his game more complete.

"For me, keep honing his handle, mainly for tight spaces, not in full court,” he said. “Same as in the lane, tight space finishes."

Green holds a lot of offers and heavy interest in schools across the country. So if UNC gets more serious with the 6-5 wing in July, they'll have their work cut out for them.

Arizona, Kansas, Maryland, California, Stanford, Maryland, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Arizona State, UNLV and Texas A&M have all offered the rising senior.