Last December, on the wall of Jalen Green’s sparsely decorated two-bedroom Walnut Creek, Calif., apartment, a 40-inch TV glowed. Most nights, college basketball flickered across the screen. Auburn games, occasionally. Unbeaten Gonzaga, often. Oklahoma State, led by friend Cade Cunningham, whenever possible. From his couch, Green would text and FaceTime friends and former teammates across the country. He knew what he was missing.
A year ago Green, a smooth 6' 5" combo guard, was a five-star prospect at San Joaquin Memorial High in Fresno. His life, virtually all 19 years of it, was chronicled in YouTube documentaries.