Reno, Nev. » Brian Green wasn't nervous about being on the big stage that is the Western Athletic Conference tournament.
The junior guard from Utah State wasn't apprehensive toward shooting the basketball.
Instead of shying away from the pressure, Green embraced it. And as a result his 18 points on Thursday afternoon's 84-60 win over Boise State was one of the driving forces in USU's ability to advance to tonight's semifinal, in which the Aggies will face Louisiana Tech for the third time this season.
"He can shoot the ball," Utah State coach Stew Morrill said. "That's what he's out there to do and he does it well. And once the first few shots went down, we started to run plays for him. He performed today the way we expected him to perform."
More than the points, Green was as clutch as can be. The point total came in 23 minutes of playing time. He grabbed four rebounds. He made four of his six shots from three-point range and every last one of those makes were of the dagger variety.
"That's my role," Green said. "It's to come in and provide energy off the bench. My job is to make shots, and I felt I did that today."
Green, over the course of the season, has expanded his offensive game. No longer is he just a spot-up shooter. Instead, against Boise State, he made several plays off the dribble, maneuvering himself free for easy looks.
Defensively, he's among the best communicators on the team. He constantly gives himself up, accumulating floor burns, and on a team full of quiet players, he offers a welcome contrast.
"He's definitely not quiet," Pooh Williams said. "He's always coming in, giving us energy. He's great on both ends of the floor, and he played really well for us today."
