6’8 2022 Deante Green “Beyond the Basketball Court”
For 6’8 sophomore Deante Green, the future looks bright on the basketball court. Currently ranked no. 6 in our North Carolina 2022 rankings, Green is oozing with upside and potential. He has really good size, length, and athleticism that is accompanied by a matching skill set. Known for his smooth and fluid game, Green has showcased versatility and now has become one of the state’s best inside/out players in the state. He has worked extremely hard on his perimeter game and at the inaugural WNC Phenom 150 camp, Green was simply sensational from the perimeter. He can run the “point forward” position and was knocking down 3-pointers with a high degree of efficiency. His outstanding play earned him the Most Valuable Player Award.
To put it simply, Deante Green has the size, skill, and athleticism to become a top 150 player nationally in his class. That being said, there is more to Deante Green as a basketball player. Playing in several Phenom camps in the fall, we have gotten a chance to know this talented young man outside the basketball court. You see, Deante Green is so deserving of all the accolades that have come his way and more will quickly follow, but there is more to this young man and in this segment, we want to talk about Deante Green the person. One of the best things about our camps is the opportunity to get to know the players up close and personal. After the WNC Phenom 150, where Green earned camp MVP honors, we started to see another side of Green that some people don’t get an opportunity to see.
First of all, upon earning MVP honors, we were quite impressed with his humbleness and kindness that was displayed. He was so thankful in receiving this prestigious award and that alone made a huge impression upon us at Phenom Hoop Report. A week later, Green traveled to Kingsport, Tennessee to play in the Tennessee Phenom 150 camp. At each camp, we go over our Five Golden Rules and one thing we emphasize is for the players to pick up and clean the bench area of water and Gatorade bottles after each game. At the conclusion of the Tennessee Phenom 150 camp, all the campers were leaving the gym except for this young man. You see, Deante Green stayed behind when no one was there or even paying attention except one person and that just happened to be me. Here you have a 6’8 highly touted player that went along the sidelines to pick up every water and Gatorade bottle. This immediately caught my attention and rightfully so. I’m thinking just one week prior, you have a high major prospect that won MVP honors and the next week is acting as the gym custodian. I then proceeded to give him a helping hand but was so blown away by his thoughtfulness. How many young players would take the time to literally pick up every piece of trash along the benches?
So often today, we take the time to be critical of our youth, but for Deante Green, he is simply what’s good about our younger generation. He showed responsibility and maturity and for this young man, he gained a fan for life. You see, sometimes it’s the simple things that matter and while he is still quite young, but one thing is crystal clear. Whoever has the opportunity to secure this young man’s commitment will be one lucky coach and team.
