NBA Draft Blog Interview with Phil Greene IV

When Phil Greene IV arrived at St. John’s four years ago, he was part of a major recruiting class which was supposed to signal the Red Storm’s return to NCAA prominence under Steve Lavin. Things didn’t exactly work out as expected, with a couple of the original class not staying long in Queens, but those who stuck with it, like Greene, learned a lot about what it takes to play as a team and succeed.

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Since Greene’s freshman season, the team improved their win total every year, including 41 wins the past two seasons, as well as a winning record in Big East conference games. Greene also improved in many areas himself, including going from a 26 percent three-point shooter as a freshman to 40 percent the last two seasons.

Now, Greene’s college career is behind him and he has put himself in a good position to continue playing basketball at the pro level. As he’s prepared for showing NBA teams what he can bring to them, the 6’2 guard from Chicago is able to look back at the past four seasons and how they’ve prepared him for this.

“I grew up a lot during my four years at St. John’s,” said Greene. “I was able to become a leader on and off the court, as well as developing the life skills I’ll need in whatever I do.”

Greene’s development extended to the court as well. “I really learned what hard work is during my college career, learning what it takes to get better,” said Greene.

Greene’s work definitely showed as a senior. He averaged 13 points and 3 rebounds in 35 minutes per game for the 21-win Red Storm. Greene also had a remarkably low 36 turnovers in 33 games, and over 1100 minutes played, last season, as he was a key component in getting the Red Storm back to the NCAA Tournament, their first since 2011.

The NCAA Tournament bid was special to the team, and lifted a burden this senior class had carried since getting to St. John’s. “It was a big relief to finally get to the NCAA Tournament,” said Greene. “It was something that we carried with us every year, and to finally get there as seniors was a dream come true.”

Now as Greene prepares for the next phase of his basketball career, he can look back and see how his time playing at St. John’s and in the Big East has prepared him. “You need a lot of toughness to play in the Big East,” said Greene. “It’s a grind-it-out game, and you need to develop a strong mindset and an attention to detail to well.”

With all he has learned, Greene was well-prepared to show NBA teams what he can do, and he believes he has certain skills which will appeal to pro teams. “I think my shot-making ability, and my ability to create my own shot, stand out,” said Greene. “Teams will like how I can create space and shoot off the bounce.”

Greene knows that there are also some important areas for him to improve before he gets to the next level. “I’ve been working on setting up my teammates better, and getting everyone involved,” said Greene.

As of this post, Greene has worked out for Toronto, Boston, Phoenix, Utah, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and both teams in Los Angeles, as well as interviewing with a few others. Reports from the various workouts have been very positive, with people such as Brooklyn’s director of pro personnel Gregg Polinsky saying that he believes that Greene will have a shot to play in the NBA.

Greene has also taken a lot from the various workouts, and what he needs to do to get to the NBA. “It’s all about being able to make shots,” Greene said. “Also, the workouts teach you just how fast-paced everything is at the NBA level.”

With the draft just days away, Greene just wants the opportunity to show that he belongs on an NBA roster. “Wherever I end up playing, just know that I won’t let them down, and I’m ready to give it everything I have,” said Greene. “Whatever my team needs from me, I’ll do all I can to give it to them.”

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