MSU story on Green and Price

[TomCat88]

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Brian Fish is hoping that good things come in pairs.

Montana State’s first-year head basketball coach made his first additions to the Bobcat roster Tuesday, landing a pair of athletic high school players from Arizona. Quinn Price, a 6-9, 205 forward-center and Zach Green, a 6-4, 195 guard-forward each signed National Letters-of-Intent to play basketball at MSU. Each played for the Arizona Power AAU program, and each enters as a freshmen next fall.

“The Arizona Power is a great AAU program and I’ve developed a good relationship with them through the years,” Fish said. ”Zach and Quinn know each other well and have played with each other. I think it’s coincidental they’re coming here together, but they’re friends so I think they’re both excited to play on the same team. We’ll look to build on the relationship because that’s a talent-rich area.”

Price joins the Bobcat program from Vista Grande High School in Casa Grande, Ariz. He missed most of his senior season with a finger injury, but when available averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. In 25 games as a junior, he averaged 15.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.1 blocked shots, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals a game. He earned All-Arizona Honorable Mention honors during the 2012-13 season. Fish characterizes Price as a stretch forward who excels around the rim while possessing good skills facing the hoop.

“Quinn’s growth and development over the last few months has been really good,” Fish said. “He is 6-9, long and athletic, and has a chance to be a really good five-four for us for the future. The game of basketball really comes easy for him, it’s just a matter of refining his overall skill set. He can shoot a three, he can handle it, he can shoot 15-footers. But the thing I like most about him is he really goes and rebounds and goes and gets blocked shots.”

Price is intrigued by the Bobcat basketball program as well as Montana State’s academic excellence. “I think the opportunities at MSU are greater than any of the other offers I received,” he said. “The school, the players, Coach Fish is going to get that program going in the right direction. I just think Montana State is my best opportunity.”

Green also missed his senior season with after an injury suffered in the season opener. The athletic wing from Mesquite High School in Gilbert, Ariz., averaged 17.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists and steals per game as a junior. He scored at least 20 points in 10 games that season, including a high of 33.

“His body is not far off from being college ready,” Fish said. “He got hurt in the very first game of (his senior season). He had 26 points going into the fourth quarter and took a charge and broke his fibula. I think he has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove what kind of player he can be. He can really slash and get to the rim. It looks like we shoot the ball pretty well and I felt like we needed one more guy that can get to the rim and play through contact. I expect to come in and contribute next year.”

“I really like the school, Coach Fish, and the new assistants I met last week,” Green said at a Tuesday press conference. “I did not know what to expect on my visit, but the University surpassed all my expectations. I am grateful to have the opportunity to play Division I basketball for Montana State. I am very proud and excited today to be a future Bobcat.”

Fish likes the overall athleticism Price and Green bring to MSU. “It looks like we shoot the ball pretty well as a team, and I felt like we needed another guy that can get to the rim and play through contact, like Zach, and a player that can go block a shot and grab a rebound, like Quinn. Together, they increase our overall athleticism and I think they’ll both help us right away.”

MSU may add another player during the spring recruiting season, Fish said.

[KittieKop]

I'm excited to hear Coach Fish talk about getting to the rim. Our offense for years has pretty much lived about 10' on out from the basket.

[DicTater]

I finally took the time to look at some of the video of Green and Price and had a couple of observations.

Green: The first thing that stood out to me is that he was doing a lot of the ball handling for his team. If you're going to play uptempo, as Fish says he is, you need more than just a point guard who can handle the ball, Second, he has a very good looking, high arc jump shot. a lot of high school kids, because they aren't very strong, have a pretty flat jumper. Third, he has obvious athleticism, the kind of athleticism that we haven't seen much of lately. 4th, when he attacks the rim, he can get his shot off with either hand. Since all video is from his Jr. year and he has put on 13 pounds of muscle since, he could contribute right away. He looks like a good recruit.

Price: Really athletic, but slim. His athleticism and height probably allowed him to get away with a lot in HS that he won't get away with in college because of the size and strength of opponents. Really needs to get nutritionist and hit the weight room. It looked like his team played a lot of zone on defense, so his man to man skills may be suspect. Maybe his AAU coaches taught him some. Looked like he had a nice jumper and could handle the ball pretty well. He is the prototype forward for an uptempo game.