Neumann-Goretti star Green picks Kentucky

Neumann-Goretti's Quade Green, one of the top senior guards in the country, announced his commitment to play at Kentucky in a "Hoops Madness" ceremony at the school Saturday night.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder had recently narrowed his choices to Kentucky and Syracuse. Early on, Syracuse seemed to be the favorite. That was in part because a pair of former Saints, Rick Jackson and Scoop Jardine, had played for the Orange.

Kentucky made a late push, with Wildcats boss John Calipari twice going to South Philly.

"Kentucky makes a lot of sense," N-G coach Carl Arrigale said. "Two of their freshmen guards will probably be top-10 picks in the NBA draft. They'll need somebody to drive the car."

The Wildcats are expected to lose three underclassmen, including freshmen guards De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, to the draft. That would open the door for playing time for Green.

Last season, in leading N-G to its sixth PIAA Class 3A state championship in seven seasons, Green averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 steals. The five-star prospect was an Inquirer first-team all-Southeastern Pennsylvania selection.

Arrigale was impressed with Calipari during his visits. "I was blown away with how honest he is," he said. "He's a straight shooter. He basically tells you like it is."