Former Pirate ballers having busy summer
JAMAR.ROSS  7/17/06
Hampton, Va. – Former Hampton University men’s basketball players Devin Green and Jeff Granger have spent part of their summer trying to impress coaches at the Summer Pro League (SPL) in Long Beach, California, while Mike Bean made the transition from the court to the sideline by being named a head coach.
For Green it is the second time around in the SPL after playing last summer and earning himself a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.  A two-time All-MEAC selection for the Pirates, Green has been a key part of the Lakers’ 4-2 record in the SPL.  Playing in the backcourt alongside the Lakers’ 2006 first round pick Jordan Farmar, Green is averaging 11 points and just over four rebounds.  He had his best effort thus far with 18 points and seven rebounds in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.  (Photo Hampton)

A 2006 Hampton graduate and the Pirates’ latest member of the 1,000-point club, Granger made his way to Long Beach in a somewhat unconventional way.  While participating in workouts at a Las Vegas camp he was noticed by Lakers’ assistant coach Craig Hodges who inquired as to whether or not Granger would be heading to Long Beach.  After finding out that Granger would indeed be heading to the summer league, Hodges extended an invitation for the 6-foot-3 guard to personally work out for him.  Granger’s impressive workout earned him a spot on Team Game, a squad assembled by Hodges that consists of players from a variety of backgrounds.  Team Game currently has a record of 3-1 and Granger is averaging nine points and three rebounds per game, while shooting 47% (7-of-15) from behind the arc.

Mike Bean was a three-year walk-on for the Pirates’ men’s basketball team who graduated in May with a degree in history.  A hardworking and scrappy player on the court, Bean also possessed a wealth of overall knowledge of the game.  This was noticed by the administration at Ribault Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida, when they asked Bean to coach the boy’s basketball team and also teach social studies. 

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