Following the two years that he spent representing the Oswego State men’s basketball team, Devin Green is slowly coming to terms with the end of his college career.

Before the 2021-22 season when he joined the Lakers, Green spent time at Genesee Community College where he averaged just over 14 points per game and shot nearly 45% from the field for the Cougars. As he was in the process of trading in his jersey in favor of the green and gold of the Lakers, Green remembers how much of an impact head coach Jason Leone had on him from day one.

Leone wanted more out of him. He did not just want his ability to score, he wanted him to play defense too. This focus on the defense was something that intrigued Green as he came to understand the methodology of the Lakers.

“[He wanted me to] come in to be a scorer and play defense,” Green said. “He preaches defense a lot so coming in and being able to play defense and have that translate into our offense helped me become a better player.”

With his commitment to move to Oswego State, Green says that he came in with an open mind and that he was excited at the prospect of learning new things each day. He also said that his nerves were eased because he knew he was in the good hands of a more-than-capable coach.

“I knew I was coming into a great situation because [Leone] is a great coach and he knows what he’s doing considering all the accolades and the program’s success,” Green said.

Green said that he was completely sold on Leone’s philosophy as he reflected on the dream of every college athlete: to win the national championship. While the Lakers fell short of this dream, Green did not sell short the Lakers’ accomplishments of winning the conference in back-to-back years at home and two historic NCAA Tournament runs.

However, Green says that the reality of it all is yet to hit him and that he is just coasting at the moment.

“Right now, I’m just going with the flow of everything, but even during the season when we’re setting records, it just felt like a normal game,” he said. “That’s something that doesn’t really hit you in the moment because you’re really just focused on each and every day and what you have to do to get better.”

In his second year as a Laker, Green said that the success that they had all came down to discipline. He said that the team knew what they had to do as a collective and as individuals and their success stood as a testament to their mentality.

“It shows the dedication and the hard work that we put in and that there’s nothing that will be given to you,” he said. “We all want to be successful and there are these little bits and pieces that you have to do every day to be that type of person.” Green then turned to reflecting on his favorite moments as a Laker. Although there were so many to choose from, he could not stop himself from acknowledging their win over Randolph-Macon in the Sweet 16 of this year’s NCAA Tournament, at times even sounding like he was still in awe of the accomplishment.

“The number one team in the country, being able to beat them on their home floor and snap their home win-streak,” Green said. “That’s something we can say ‘well we didn’t get to the national championship, but we did play the number one team and beat them to get to the Elite 8.’”

Green made sure to add that he knows that he could not have made it this far without the support of his teammates. Not only was he happy to see them all grow as a unit on the court, but also see them grow as people. He said that he struggled to find the words that correctly described this group of players but fell on “genuine love.”

“The bonds were there,” Green said. “We all bonded as a family outside of basketball. They helped me get through the season and make it fun because that’s what it’s all about. They’re [a part of] probably the best memories I will have in my life.”

The feeling was the same to that of the entire Oswego community who he said greeted him with open arms. For Green, this made playing in front of the home crowd all the more special.

Finally, Green noted how bittersweet it was to see his time at Oswego State start wind down. Despite the two years going by in a flash, he said that he will be leaving in “good spirit” and “good heart.” For now, he plans to finish out his remaining time the way that he best knows, day-by-day, just as Leone would want him to.

“I couldn’t think of a better way to go out as a senior,” Green said. “It’s been fun. It’s been nothing but adventures every day.” 

Photo by: Brandon Chaug