UW says farewell to a Husky favorite

Despite popular belief, college does end sooner or later. For UW senior Thalo Green, graduation just kind of snuck up from behind.

"It's kind of bittersweet," Green said. "The time went by really fast, but I'm ready to move on to the next chapter of my life."

The 6-foot-7 forward played four years on the men's basketball team, averaging 10.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game during his senior season. Green is proud of his accomplishments on the court, but knows the importance of getting a college degree.

"Graduating is a great accomplishment, and I'm glad I was able to get my degree and be successful. I was presented with a great opportunity, and I seized it. That's something that feels really good to me because getting a degree was important when I first got here."

Green hopes to play professional basketball overseas next year, possibly in Australia or Greece, but would like to get into teaching when his playing days are over. A communications major, Green says coaching high school basketball is definitely something that interests him.

"If I do end up coaching, I'd want to be a teacher as well," Green said. "I've had some great teachers along the way that turned me around and helped me out a lot, and that's something that I'd like to give back."

Growing up in Salem, Ore., Green came to the UW looking for a fresh start. It wasn't always easy, but through hard work and dedication he has finally come to the end of the road.

"The process of going to college over the last five years has opened me up to a lot of different things. I'm a lot more laid-back than I was when I got here. I thought I had everything figured out, and now I know that I don't. Now I'm in the real world and it's kind of scary, because I have to start working toward something that will establish a career."

Throughout his tenure at the UW, Green has been a model citizen and a figure that has touched the lives of many people around the Seattle area, including his coach, Bob Bender.

"I'm really going to miss him," Bender said. "I think he's certainly been a good example for the UW for what we expect of our student athletes, and he's been as enjoyable of a person that I have ever been involved with."

Green has been visiting Children's Hospital weekly for the past two years. He grew his hair out for 16 months during the '99-'00 season. Despite the distraction of keeping it out of his face during games, Green's hair grew 10 inches before he had it cut and donated to Wigs for Kids, an organization that provides wigs made from real human hair to children fighting chemotherapy, burns and other medical conditions.

"The community has been really great to me," Green said. "I just wanted to give back to the people that had been giving to me for so long."

Green's basketball career was highlighted by two trips to the NCAA tournament and a run to the Sweet 16 in 1998. Unfortunately, his last two seasons were riddled with injuries.

"Basketball resembles life in so many ways," he said. "It's like a roller coaster. You never know what's around the next corner, and you never know what's coming next. You've got to have the ability to get right back up when you get knocked down. If you want to be successful, you have to take adversity with a grain of salt and keep going."

Green finds himself reflecting on five years as a Husky with graduation just over a week away.

"I've had a great experience here at the UW," he said, "and it's something that I'll always have with me. There's a lot of guys that I will definitely keep in contact with for a long time, and we made some memories that no one can take away from us."

Whatever Green decides to do after graduation, he will forever be remembered, both by those who knew him and those who simply watched, as a dedicated and passionate Husky who went above and beyond the role of a student athlete.