Tubby Smith impressed with Draymond Green's versatility

MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo has had no shortage of praise for his star senior forward Draymond Green this season.

Green, now the frontrunner for Big Ten Player of the Year after back-to-back player of the week awards, is averaging 15.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He is the best player on what is currently the best team in the Big Ten.

Not surprisingly, other coaches throughout the conference also have had kind words for Green, who leads the Big Ten with 15 double-doubles. That includes Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith, whose Golden Gophers host the No. 6 Spartans (22-5 overall, 11-3 Big Ten) at 8:30 p.m. tonight at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.

Smith said recently he wants to see more toughness from his players. During the Big Ten coaches teleconference Monday, Smith was asked if Green’s style of play is what he wants to see more of from his guys.

“Yeah,” Smith said. “That toughness he brings, he really is a physical player that uses his body well. He’s not a great athlete. He’s not going to jump over the rim. … But he’s a guy that can do a lot of different things.”

And Smith said it’s that versatility that really sets Green apart from everyone else in the conference.

“He epitomizes what you want in a power forward — the word power itself,” Smith said. “But he combines it with finesse, and he’s even better at the defensive end because he can guard multiple positions. He’s a guy that can direct traffic. He can pick up your point guard and stay between him and the basket if he has to or he can guard your center. He’s just that versatile, so that’s what you look for.”

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