Logan » For a 10-minute stretch of Utah State's 81-59 win over Boise State on Saturday night, Brian Green was next to unstoppable.
The junior guard made three-pointers look as easy as layups. He went to the basket, finished plays once he got there and drew fouls in the process. He dived on the floor for loose balls, hitting his head once in the process. He brought an energy to his Utah State team that was lacking for the first 10 minutes of the game.
In all, Green scored 12 of his career-high 14 points in the first half, with the defining shot being a 28-foot jumper that hit nothing but net as the shot clock ran out. He was the spark plug needed for his team to turn this contest into a rout.
"I just felt like I needed to come out and play as hard as I could," Green said. "Boise was playing well and then I decided that I needed to bring the energy and try to be a leader and it worked out. I'm happy we got the win and I'm happy that we played well as a team. I feel like we're getting better each day."
It hasn't all been easy for Green. Throughout the pre-conference season, Green had seen his playing time fluctuate. He went from starting the first few games of the year, with Pooh Williams out due to injury, to going back to the bench when Williams returned. Then he went from seeing steady playing time, to seemingly losing his spot in the rotation to freshman Preston Medlin.
But since the New Mexico State game, where Green didn't play a single minute, he's solidified his spot as the first guard off the bench, even gaining the seal of approval from coach Stew Morrill.
And it's paid off for Utah State. Against Nevada, in what was a crucial win, Green hit an important three-pointer to stem a Wolf Pack run. On Saturday, he provided the scoring off the bench and the shot-making that's been so desperately needed.
Earlier in the season, he was tried at backup point guard. But that experiment has seemingly ended, which leaves Green to back up Williams and Tyler Newbold at the swing positions.
"We need him," Jared Quayle said. "He's tough, he's scrappy and he brings a lot of energy to the floor. He's a leader and he really played well tonight."
