Red Storm With a Shade of Phil Greene

From the windy city of Chicago, Illinois to the bright lights of Manhattan, New York City, Phillip Greene of IMG Academy (FL) has officially signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the St. John’s Red Storm next season, the school announced Wednesday.

Vince Walden, player development coach at IMG, said in early November that Greene would not commit until the spring signing period. Greene verbally committed to St. John’s in late January, after watching the Johnnies defeat Notre Dame at Madison Square Garden.

After verbally committing, Greene told SNY’s Adam Zagoria why he chose to come to Queens.

“It was fun going up there, seeing them play well against Notre Dame,” he said. “They got the win. They play my style of play; they play up-and-down. They’re really going to let you get after it. Coach Lavin is a really good coach and I got a real good feel for them when I was up there.”

Greene will join a backcourt that includes rising junior Malik Stith, junior college transfer Nurideen Lindsey, and Texas sharpshooter D’Angelo Harrison.

Greene’s name has swirled around St. John’s for the months before his verbal commitment. A week prior, a source close to Johnny Jungle said Phil Greene would commit after the Syracuse game, but, due to weather conditions, he could not attend, so instead came to the Notre Dame game. Fellow St. John’s signee Sir’Dominic Pointer was also in attendance, and, shortly after the game, Greene announced he would attend St. Johns in the fall.

“I’m happy to sign my letter of intent and start my journey,” Greene said. “The whole process has gone relatively smoothly and I’m just excited to finally sign my letter of intent to make it official, but now that the recruiting process is over the real work begins.”

Greene, who averaged 23.4 points per game for IMG this past season, is another combo guard who has a great ability to run the court as well as create shots for himself. He has a terrific mid-range jump shot and his quickness and length could make him an effective piece of Lavin’s pressure defense.

Like all the recruits who have signed so far, Greene can move over to the shooting guard spot and put up points. Lavin loves versatile players, and Greene is another added bonus to an already highly-ranked recruiting class.

“Phil will be a valuable addition to our backcourt,” said Lavin. “He has a strong work ethic, and has displayed an aptitude for both scoring and sound decision making. His length, speed and quickness makes him a nice fit for our up-tempo style of play.”