Greer anticipating CSU visit
The newest name to surface regarding Colorado State basketball recruiting: Tyquone Greer. Greer, a 6-foot-6 combo forward who hails from Chicago, Illinois, is currently wrapping up his sophomore season at Daytona State College.
Greer was a three-star recruit in the class of 2014, holding high-major offers from schools like Arkansas, DePaul, Providence and St. John’s. He was well on his way to landing at a power-five conference school until a life-threatening event occurred on March 9, 2014 in his senior year.
Greer was attending a party in Chicago when a fight broke out and someone started firing shots. Unfortunately, Greer was shot in the left leg, although the bullet cleanly went through his calf without any structural damage. This forced Greer to go the junior college route, which brought him to Daytona State. Greer said he still has slight lingering effects from the shooting in terms of strength in his left leg, which has affected his athleticism, once his calling card.
“I don’t have complete strength in my left leg because I didn’t complete the process of rehabbing,” Greer recalled. “I did some rehabbing, but it was very inconsistent and I decided to make the move to Daytona State. I’ve worked on it some here, and I look forward to working on it at my future school. I don’t jump like I used to. The gun shot took away from me. But I’m gonna get to where I used to be and fully strengthen my leg.”
Despite the major setback and its effects that persist, Greer has thrived in Florida, particularly this season.
Greer helped lead Daytona State to a 25-7 record this year, playing on the wing and down low. He averaged 12.4 points per game to go along with 7.1 rebounds per game. Greer was efficient, shooting 48% from the field and 39% from three. This all led to Greer being named to the Mid-Florida Conference 1st Team and All-State team as well.
CSU began recruiting Greer in the winter, and recently watched him play this past February. Greer shared his thoughts on CSU. “What I really like about Colorado State is the relationship I’ve built with coach (Steve) Barnes,” Greer said. “We talk a lot, and he’s very straightforward. He sees me being able to play the three and the four. I like the location, even though I’ve never been to Colorado. I’ve done my research. The program is good, I’ve watched them play. I look forward to visiting and seeing the atmosphere for myself.”
Other schools have thrown their hat in the ring, as Greer boasts scholarship offers from Detroit, Evansville, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia Southern, Hofstra, Indiana State, Iona, Morehead State and Stony Brook. DePaul has also stayed in touch - they were previously involved in 2014.
“Colorado State, Detroit, Evansville, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia Southern, Hofstra, Indiana State are recruiting me the hardest right now,” Greer said. “They’re talking to me the most frequently. Although I haven’t visited any schools yet to due to conflicting schedules, I have a visit set up to Georgia Southern on April 7th. I will also be definitely visiting Colorado State, we’re gonna work out a date once their season ends. I’ll be making a final decision during the spring.”
In terms of his positive attributes, Greer cited his leadership qualities and something that will surely excite the CSU coaching staff: defense. “I’m a leader on the court, both physically and vocally,” Greer shared. “I take great pride in defense. I can also dribble, shoot and pass pretty well, but I hang my hat defense.”
Greer also sees areas where he needs to get better. “Everything, there’s always room for improvement,” Greer said. “I do need to minimize turnovers and work on my dribbling.”
CSU is actively pursuing combo forwards, as Pape Diatta and Leon Gilmore III are other options. The Rams have three to four scholarships to fill, depending on whether or not Gian Clavell is granted a medical redshirt, granting him a fifth year of eligibility.