Ali Greene (#40 | 6-1 | F | Fr.)
After leading the Big East in defensive rebound percentage in 2014-15, the Bluejays added another 6-foot-plus post presence in Ali Greene to the mix to help fill the void left by Alexis Akin-Otiko and her 6.3 rebounds per game at the power forward position. Greene collected more than 800 rebounds in her high school career, and throughout preseason practice has shown to be a reliable player on the glass for the Bluejays.
With five players standing at least six-feet tall on the roster, she’ll be battling for playing time. Leading rebounder and center Brianna Rollerson is back for her junior season along with sophomores Bailey Norby and Kylie Brown. Top 100 freshman Audrey Faber is too talented to keep of the floor, so Greene will have to be consistent in her rebounding and defense in practice to help her get minutes once the season rolls around. With a bunch of scorers back from last season, she won’t have very much pressure on her in that area, and the coaching staff has already been impressed with her chops on the defensive end of the floor throughout the first few weeks of the preseason.
Mahtomedi High School (Lino Lakes, MN)
- scored 1,678 points and grabbed 860 rebounds in her high school career
- a four-time team MVP for Mahtomedi High School
- was named All-State Honorable Mention as a senior
Head Coach Jim Flanery on Greene:
“Ali is a kid who is comfortable on the perimeter, but also defensively she’s further along than we thought. She’s willing to stay in there and fight on the defensive end, and use her length, and give help when we want her to give help. She’s still finding her way on offense a little bit in terms of just knowing where to be and what to do, but we like her skill set. I think her foot work is good, and she’s comfortable with the ball in a face-up situation, and she’s a good rebounder; I think that’s one thing that has impressed me is that she’s a very good offensive rebounder, so sooner or later she’s going to be a good player.”
5-on-5 with Ali Greene
Q: What were the factors in why you decided to play at Creighton?
A: “First, I loved the coaching staff. When I came on campus and met all of the players and coaches I instantly felt a connection; it felt like home. I also love the size of the campus. I’m from a smaller town, so I was looking for a school that was smaller. It fit perfect.”
Q: What has been the most challenging part of the transition from high school to college?
A: “The most challenging part in the classroom has been time management, because in high school you’re in school the entire day, then you do your homework, then you basically go to bed. Here, I have two classes a day, so I have to figure out when I have class, when I can do my homework, and what I can do with my free time. For basketball, I’d say the pace and the speed is the most challenging. It’s definitely a lot faster. In high school you could kind of slack on defense a little bit, but here if you slack for one second you’re going to get beaten and scored on. You can never be flat-footed, you always have to be on your toes and be ready.”
Q: The team was picked fourth in the preseason poll. What did you think of that selection, and what are your expectations for this group this season?
A: “I thought that was a pretty good spot, because last year we were kind of about .500, but lost a lot of close games. Being fourth is a good set starting point, but I know that even though St. John’s and Seton Hall are going to be tough, I definitely think that we can make a run on them and beat them. I have a lot of confidence this year.”
Q: Which game on the schedule or road trip are you most looking forward to?
A: “I would say St. John’s or Seton Hall. Just because all of my teammates always talk about those games, how they are kind of our rivals. They’re both really good teams and they are tough to play against, but they’re fun games. Or even DePaul, because they are a really good team also.”
Q: When your time at Creighton is over, what will you have hoped to accomplish in your career as a Bluejay?
A: “Obviously I’d love to make it to the NCAA Tournament. That’s the ultimate dream, and I definitely think we can make it this year. On my part, I’ll do whatever it takes to make my team successful. Whatever I need to do to make us win.”
