STANFORD, Calif. — Jeremy Green was still fuming over a poor performance in Stanford's season-opening victory over San Diego last week when the shooting guard received a text from former teammate Landry Fields.
"He told me to relax, have fun, be patient and let the game come to me rather than forcing it like I did the first game," Green said. "It was the same thing my teammates and coaches had been telling me, but it helped hearing it from him."
In the two games since a foul-plagued 1-for-7 shooting night against San Diego, Green has looked more like the go-to scorer Stanford needs him to be now that Fields has moved on to the New York Knicks. The 6-foot-4 junior has scored 21 points in blowout victories over Virginia and Arkansas Pine Bluff, helping the Cardinal take a 3-0 record into this Thursday's matchup with Murray State in the opening round of the 76 Classic in Anaheim.
For Stanford to exceed expectations and contend for a postseason berth this year, Green knows he must consistently score in the high teens and offer vocal leadership for the Cardinal's six freshmen. Forward Dwight Powell, wing Anthony Brown and point guard Aaron Bright form the nucleus of perhaps the Pac-10's best freshman class, but none are capable of carrying the team on a night-to-night basis the way Green can.
"I think Jeremy will do well this year because he's a leader, he hates to lose and the amount of time he puts in the gym is outstanding," Fields said before Stanford's win over Virginia last Thursday. "Last year, him and I were in there the most and to be honest he was probably in there more than I was. With those kinds of qualities he can be something special."
It's still a little hard for Green to envision himself as Fields' heir apparent because he still looks up to the ex-Stanford star as "a big brother."
Fields was Green's first close friend when the Texas native arrived at Stanford the summer before his freshman year. The two wings competed against each other in practice every day for two seasons. Green emerged as Robin to Fields' Batman last season, the duo combining for 56 percent of the scoring on an otherwise talent-starved Cardinal team that overachieved to win 14 games.
Aware that he'd have to take on an even greater role because Fields was graduating, Green spent much of the summer in Phoenix working with AAU coach Joe Ward, trainer for Suns guard Leandro Barbosa. The focus for Green was to become more than just a jump shooter by improving his ball handling and his ability to put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim.
"As a player, he's definitely improved his ability to create shots not just for himself but for others," Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said. "As a leader, he's improved with his communication. Last year, he wasn't called upon to do that as much with Landry here, but he shouldered a lot of weight. It was almost like Batman and Robin. He was Robin for us and he was great in that role. Now he's stepped up to that next role and he's doing a terrific job."
With so many newcomers on Stanford's revamped roster, a big part of Green's role has been bonding with the freshman, making sure they're comfortable and helping them learn the system. He makes an effort to spend time with all of them outside of practice, whether it's going out to dinner, studying for class or playing video games.
"Every day is an experience and every day is something new," Green said. "I've had to tell each and every one of them something. They're freshman and they're young, so of course they're going to mess up a lot. They've done well though. They've done well."
The national perception of Stanford is that the team is a year away from contending in the Pac-10, but Green is optimistic the Cardinal can exceed expectations this year.
"We know what we have and we know what we can do," Green said. "We try not to listen to what people say, but we aim high."
Mark Fraser Benjamin Gallacher Jason Garrison Cameron Gaunce
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