For the second straight year, Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball has a NJCAA Second Team All-American after Jervay Green was awarded All-American status earlier this week.
Green follows in the footsteps of Vinnie Shahid, who was a Second Team All-American a year ago.
Green said it is an honor, but it couldn't have happened without his teammates.
"It feels good and I think I should have been first with the season I had, but Second Team is still a good accomplishment," he said. "I am just thankful that I am able to be on the Second Team and thanks to my teammates and coaches for putting me in that position."
Green's sophomore season was epic to say the least. Green was named the South Region IX Player of the Year and was Co-Player of the Year in all of Region IX.
The 6-foot-3 guard from Denver, who signed with the University of Nebraska in November, averaged 23.6 points a game while pulling down 5.7 rebounds and dishing out 5.3 assists.
Green leaves WNCC as the second all-time leading scorer with 1,278 points. The career record was 1,304 points set in 1995. Green is also second in season scoring with 755 points. He is fifth in career assists (4.4 per game), tied for sixth in career 3-point shooting, and is seventh in career steals with 114.
Green's season was more than what he did in the statistical categories. Green was a crowd favorite and he had fun with the fans whether they were Cougar fans or opposing fans. He always having a smile on his face. Green never expected the success he had this season.
"I did not expect it to be like that. It was a shocker for me as well," he said. "My teammates were pushing me to be great and my coaches too. It was a fun season with me interacting with the crowd and me always with a smile on my face. I just try to have fun and my teammates have fun. I just try to show the fans that I really enjoy playing basketball."
The NJCAA All-American team is made up of three teams of 10 players each and an honorable mention team.
First Team All-Americans include Demarcus Demoria of Allegany Maryland, Chris Duarte of Northwest Florida State, Tyson Jolly of Trinity Valley, Demarkus Lampley of Wallace State, Gaige Prim of South Plains, James Rojas of Hutchinson, Jayden Scrubb of John A. Logan, Miles Thomas of Walters State, Tomas Woldetensae of Indian Hills, and Alonzo Verge of Moberly Area.
Joining Green on the second team is Region IX's Isaac Bonton of Casper College. Other Second Team members included DeMierre Black of Roane State, Vince Cole of USC-Salkehatchie, Malik Curry of Palm Beach State, Logan Hokanson of Snow, Valdir Manuel of Harcum, Brandon Rachal of Pearl River, Tajzmel Sherman of Collin County, and Chris Whitaker of Cochise.
Ten players made the Third Team including Williston State's James Jones, who WNCC played this year.
Green said he improved a lot from his freshman year and contributes his hard work and his teammates for the success.
"I improved a lot actually," he said. "My freshman year I was iffy and had an attitude. After the season and seeing that we can far with my teammates and we e had to get back and work harder. That was when my whole attitude toward the game changed and attitude toward everything started changing. That is when the big season happened."
All Green wants to do is win, any honors received are secondary he said.
"It [honors] doesn't really matter to me. At the end of day I just want to win," he said. "If we are winning, I don't care about any stats. If it happens, it happens and thank God that it happened."
His team mentality is epic and he acknowledges the efforts of his teammates.
"Thank the man above for giving me these basketball honors, but It wasn't all me, it was my teammates," he said. "I could have passed it so much more, letting Martin Roub or Dru Kuxhausen go crazy. It is not about me at the end of the day; there is no I in team. I couldn't have done it without my teammates in going this far and doing as well as we did. I have to give them love, too."