There were risks.
Green came out of Saginaw High School with back-to-back state championships, but Spartan coach Tom Izzo drew criticism for potentially “wasting” one of his coveted tenders on a player with such round edges.
Green more than justified the faith Izzo and the Michigan State athletic department put in him during his Spartan career stretching from 2008-12 by: contributing to three Big Ten championships, playing in a pair of Final Fours, posting a four-year winning percentage of .733 (107-39), and earning National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year, All-Big and consensus All-American honors as a senior.