Get to Know a Gopher: Bryan Greenlee

Who?

Bryan “BJ” Greenlee is one of four freshman joining the Golden Gophers as part of the 2019-2020 recruiting class. He comes to Minnesota from The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida where he averaged 13.7 points and 7.3 assists per game in his senior season. A 6-0 point guard, Greenlee had an offer from Iowa and also took an official visit to Cincinnati.

Greenlee was a late signing and came aboard in the summer when Amir Coffey decided to go pro. He was a three-star recruit and fits a ball handling need that Richard Pitino needs now that Coffey has moved on. He’ll be a crucial backup to starting point guard Marcus Carr.

Fun Fact

Greenlee was named the Gainesville Sun’s Co-Player of the Year for small schools in Florida after leading The Rock to a state title. As a sophomore he played alongside current Penn State guard Jamari Wheeler.

What can we expect?

At 6-0, 185 lbs., Greenlee is built like a defensive back, which makes sense because defense is where he hangs his hat. According to a write-up in the Strib, a major focus for Pitino was to be able to bring on someone like Greenlee who can contribute on defense right away, cause some havoc and be a disruptor.

And with the departures of Coffey and Isaiah Washington, Greenlee adds much needed depth and should expect to see playing time right away, for at least a handful of minutes. He’s exactly the type of player that Pitino needed to bring in late in the recruiting class - a fundamentally sound point guard with a winning history who is comfortable operating as a backup.

Greenlee actually flashed some shooting chops in Minnesota’s most recent exhibition game against Southwest Minnesota State, hitting two three pointers. He also dished out three assists in his 14 minutes of action.