Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Player Profile: Brannen Greene

Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

With the first exhibition game for the Kansas Jayhawks basketball teamtonight, and the official start of the 2013-2014 season is just a little over a week away, it is time to start taking a look at the players who will make up this season’s Kansas Jayhawks basketball squad.

Over the next few weeks, KC Kingdom will feature a series of player profiles, taking a look at each player on the team and where they may fit in.

Naadir Tharpe’s profile is here, Perry Ellis‘  is here,  Jamari Traylor‘s is here,  Andrew White III’s is here, Frank Mason’s here, Landen Lucas’ is here, Tarik Black‘s is here, and Conner Frankamp’s is here.

There have been numerous seasons when a player of Brannen Greene’s caliber would have been the gem of a recruiting class. This tall, lanky guard was a well rounded player in high school that excelled on and off the court with superlative numbers.

Last season as a senior, he averaged over 27 points while pulling down 9 rebounds a game, and dishing out 6 assists. He also averaged 2 steals a game. All the while, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.

In this recruiting class for the Kansas Jayhawks, on this particular edition, Brannen Greene will have to fight for playing time.

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It is hard to imagine that a guard with Greene’s size (6’7″, 215 pounds) and skill set, would not have an automatic place in a 9-man rotation, but that is where the Jayhawks are at this point.

It is likely at least one player will have to red shirt. It looks as if Greene and Conner Frankamp may be the sixth and seventh guards on the depth chart. This means they are most likely the 10th, 11th, or 12th players on the roster. That is bad news when the coach doesn’t like to use more than a 9-man rotation.

Frankamp may have a leg up because he can play point guard, and the Jayhawks are thin and inexperienced at that position. Greene on the other hand, will have fellow freshmen Andrew Wiggins, Wayne Selden, and sophomore Andrew White III in front of him at the shooting guard spots. Frankamp could also play that spot.

Greene is in a similar situation as White was a year ago. Greene has talent enough to play, but there just may not be enough minutes for him. It is crazy to think that a player ranked as the 47th best prospect in the country last year by ESPN might have to red shirt this season.

There is no little doubt that if Greene chooses to not red shirt, he could contribute for the Jayhawks this season. He has the talent to play himself into minutes down the road. It is just that there may not be many minutes to go around and that Greene could make a much bigger contribution to future Jayhawk teams.

It is not a done deal by any means that Greene is automatically a player left out of the rotation, or that he for sure will don the red shirt. He is a candidate though, probably one of two or three who might have to consider taking this step.

Regardless, his length and overall skill set make him an exciting player to watch, whether it is this season or the next. Brannen Greene will have his time in the spotlight but it just may not come this season.