UNI Basketball Star AJ Green Declares for NBA Draft, Enters Portal

We all knew it was a possibility going into this offseason, and now, for UNI Panther fans, it's become a terrible reality.

AJ Green, two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and fourth all-time on the UNI scoring list, has declared for the NBA Draft and will also be entering the transfer portal. He shared the message on Instagram regarding his decision and his future:

After talking with friends and family, I have decided to enter the NBA Draft with full intent to pursue my childhood dreams of playing professionally.

I will also be entering the transfer portal. This will allow me to gather as much information as I can in order to make the best decision for my future. Returning to UNI will remain an option for me as well.

The announcement comes just over a week after UNI's second-leading scorer, Noah Carter, shared he'd be transferring to Mizzou.

This season, Green averaged 18.8 points and led the Panthers in assists with 77. The Panthers finished the year falling to Loyola Chicago in the second round of the MVC Tournament and losing to BYU in the second round of the NIT.

The top recruit to ever choose the Panthers, Green is a Cedar Falls native that was dubbed a four-star prospect and ranked in the top 100 of ESPN's 2018 class. At the time of his commitment, Green's father, Kyle, was on the basketball staff for the Panthers. Kyle is now on the coaching staff at Iowa State.

It's been speculated and rumored since Kyle left UNI that AJ would choose to join his father following this season.

Out of high school, Green received scholarship offers from programs like Clemson, Iowa State, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Virginia.

Green would be the first-ever player from UNI to be selected in the NBA Draft, should a team pick him.