23 / 36
Former Ram Becomes Semi-Pro
By Mitch Strauser, CIU Sports Information Director
In March 2016, Alonzo Green was ending his collegiate
basketball career with the CIU Rams. A year later, he is ending
his first season with the Carolina Cougars of Columbia, South
Carolina, making Green the first CIU basketball player to play
semi-pro basketball.
“It has been a fun experience being able to stay in Columbia
to play basketball,” Green said of his association with the ABA
(American Basketball Association) team. “It might be a different
gym, but the love for basketball that this city has is an awesome
feeling.”
In this, their inaugural season, the Cougars were ranked in the
top 15 among ABA teams.
“The competition is really good and the game is a lot faster
pace than in college,” Green noted. “We have to come up with
a lot of the decisions on our own out on the court, but that has
stretched me to be a better player and teammate.”
Green has been a standout for the Cougars, averaging 14
points and 9 assists per game, including two games where he
scored 20 points. But his best game was when he came just
three rebounds short of a triple-double, leading the way with
points and assists.
The Cougars signed Green after he impressed the coaching
staff during a workout audition.
“Alonzo is a great young man who has a work ethic that you
look for,” said Cougars Head Coach Marcus Reese. “He also
has the attention to detail that gives him the ability to be a
coach on the floor. Signing Alonzo was a no-brainer for us after
seeing him work out. He was the perfect fit for the team.”
CIU Head Basketball Coach Marshall Tague says Green is the
type of player who inspires others.
“Playing with the Cougars has been a big step for him, but the
impact that he can have on others through athletics is really
something to be proud of,” Tague said.
Green adds that his CIU experience prepared him for the
journey.
“Athletics at CIU showed me how through the game of
basketball, I can give God glory and also worship him,”
Green said. “The academics side showed me how to be a
professional, but the spiritual side really gave me a way to see
basketball as a ministry opportunity. I will be forever grateful for
my time at CIU.”
“Alonzo is a great young man who has
a work ethic that you look for.”
– Marcus Reese
Carolina Cougars head coach
Former CIU Ram
Alonzo Green
(Photos: Carolina Cougars)
23
ATHLETICS
CIU Today
www.ciu.edu