Six feet one inch tall junior Jaida Green is a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. On Jan. 26, she verbally committed to play basketball at Penn State University. Green is the first commitment for the 2016 Women’s Recruiting Class for the Lady Lions.
She is regarded by ESPN.com to be the 11th best wing player in the country. Green was given a recruit grade of 90 out of 100 points by ESPN. Scouts have noted her ability to score close to the basket and also extend her game to the three point line. The future Lady Lion also received interest from schools such as University of Colorado, University of Arizona, University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota, and Liberty University.
“Jaida is really athletic and works really hard in the offseason,” senior basketball player Izzy Greenblatt said. Green has been on the varsity team since she was a freshman. She plays for the exclusive Midwest Elite basketball program in the offseason. Midwest Elite is a travel basketball team that plays in tournaments throughout the country during the offseason.
“Penn State has always been a force for girls’ basketball in the Big 10 Conference which was, of course, an immediate draw. Once I really got to know them, I fell in love with the coaching staff and the players,” Green said. The Lady Lions are coached by Coquese Washington who has been recognized as the Big Ten Coach of the Year for each of the past two seasons.
Penn State advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the Women’s National championship and finished the season with a (24-8) record last year.
“They have a solid program and also have no problem playing freshman, which means I’d have a large possibility of coming in and playing as soon as I get there,” Green said. Penn State lost a majority of their key players due to graduation this past season.
Unfortunately, Green is out for the rest of the season due to severe shin splints but hopes to make a quick and easy recovery. She will continue to play travel basketball in the offseason and then finish her high school basketball career next winter.
Jake Stevenson | Sports Editor
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