Green On A Mission
Tagged in: Tournaments
Jeff Green is getting by with a little help from his friends at the AA Secondary Schools National Championships in Palmerston North this week.
Call him enigmatic, call him controversial, call him a lightning rod for opinion, but Green has been working double time at Arena Manawatu, a constant as coach for both the Hamilton’s Fraser High School boys and girls teams.
Him and his wardrobe of Hawaiian shirts, water bottle and pointing finger.
The former National Basketball League-winning and New Zealand Breakers coach is on a mission this week, looking for the national title that has so far avoided him.
“I’ve won NBL and CBL titles and everything from under-19s up but I haven’t got a national secondary schools title. That’s the one I want,” Green said.
With up to four games per day for the opening two days of pool play, Green spent more than eight hours stalking the sidelines. The father-of-nine, including sharp-shooting son, Fraser High guard Daniel Green, said resting up while away from the stadium was important to getting through the week.
“I’ll go home now and sleep for 12 hours,” Green said, following Fraser High’s 96-85 big win over defending champs St Patrick’s College on Wednesday.
“I’ve been getting a lot of rest and I’ve got a coaching staff that’s second to none. I’ve got Stu Auld helping me with the girls team. I’ve got Parlayne Hawea, who won NBL titles with Tab Baldwin at Auckland, and I’ve got Neil Stephens, who won NBL titles with the Saints and played in Europe.
“It’s easy when I’ve got a good staff and I’ve been relying on them.”
Green’s Fraser High girls fell to Church College on Thursday in the quarterfinals but gave the defending champions all they could handle for the first three quarters, already exceeding their goal of making the top-eight.
“I’m over the moon with my girls. We’ve got three seniors and eigth Year 9s. They lost a tough game against Waimea but they were leading and lost that game by inexperience. Our goal with them was to win the title in two years. We made the top-eight, that was our goal this year.”
Recent health issues have meant a more relaxed and less argumentative Green has been running the huddles in Palmy. Still, that has not stopped him from having a few run-ins with his favourite people – referees.
After all, it is still Jeff Green.
