University of Northern Iowa Athletics
AJ Green’s jersey retirement set for Sunday, February 15 against Drake
2/10/2026 3:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Two-time MVC Player of the Year and member of two MVC regular season championship teams to be honored with McLeod Center banner.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- AJ Green, one of UNI's most successful homegrown talents and rising NBA guards, will be recognized on Sunday afternoon inside the McLeod Center as UNI Athletics retires his jersey in a pregame ceremony during its Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) home game against in-state rival Drake.
Green, who played for the Panthers from 2018 to 2022, will be in attendance for the game alongside family as he will be recognized with a banner bearing his name and number four jersey, as well as a banner plaque.
Fans are encouraged to be seated for the ceremony by 1:40 p.m. CT. Green will also be available for an autograph signing session following the game on the McLeod Center's north concourse. A limited number of posters will be available postgame, while 1,000 t-shirts will also be available on the south concourse while supplies last.
This will be a historic day for our program as we put our first jersey in the rafters and we are thrilled that it is AJ's, said UNI head coach Ben Jacobson. His commitment to daily excellence and his desire to be the best were a privilege to be around each and every day. AJ and his teammates provided all of us with some of the most memorable moments in both McLeod Center and program history. AJ has always represented himself, his family and the Panthers with tremendous pride and grace and we could not be more proud to recognize and honor him on Sunday!
The ceremony for Green will be the second of 19 planned jersey retirements for UNI Athletics in 2026 following the announcement of the department's jersey retirement program as part of UNI's sesquicentennial celebration. The Panther wrestling program will retire Bill Smith's jersey the day prior during their Feb. 14 dual against West Virginia, while the UNI women's basketball team will recognize Jacqui Kalin on Feb. 28 vs. UIC.
Additionally, UNI will retire jerseys of iconic Panthers for other teams later this year, as well as for athletes whose sports are no longer sponsored by the university during the 2026 homecoming celebration at its All-Sports Reunion.
I am honored and so grateful to have my jersey retired this coming Sunday, Green said. It's only made possible by every person that came before me, paving the way and setting the standard for what Northern Iowa Men's Basketball is about. I want to give a huge thank you to every coach, teammate, fan and family member that supported me at UNI and still continues to. Go Panthers!
A Cedar Falls native, Green was among the top high school prospects in Iowa at Cedar Falls High School, helping lead the Tigers to a state championship during his senior season in 2018 with 26 points per game. A four-star recruit for Northern Iowa, he signed with UNI during the late summer of 2017 as the highest ranked high school prospect in program history.
In his first season with the Panthers, Green started all 34 games and was named the MVC's Freshman of the Year after scoring a program freshman record 509 points. Green also earned Third Team All-MVC, conference all-freshman and all-newcomer team honors, helping UNI reach the MVC Tournament title game also with all-tournament recognition.
As a sophomore, Green took his game to new levels averaging 19.7 points on 41.6% shooting from the field, 39.1% shooting from three-point range and 91.7% accuracy from the free throw line, leading Northern Iowa to a 25-6 overall record and an MVC regular season championship. He scored a career-high 35 points in an early conference season matchup against Bradley and earned the first of his two Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year awards, in addition to First Team All-MVC, NABC All-District, MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team honors.
After being limited to just three games during the 2020-21 season due to injury, Green returned in 2021-22 with another strong season with 18.8 points per game on 40.9% shooting, 38.7% shooting from beyond the arc and 91.5% accuracy from the charity stripe. A Lou Henson National Player of the Year finalist, Green helped lead the charge for the Panthers, who captured the MVC regular season title in a winner-take-all game against Loyola-Chicago at home on the final day of the season. After earning his second conference player of the year award, along with First Team All-MVC, MVC Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year and MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team recognition, he contributed to UNI returning to the national postseason stage in 2022 with an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
Green finished his career with his name scattered throughout the UNI men's basketball record books, notably finishing as the program's all-time leader in three-point field goal attempts (704), free throw percentage (90%) and consecutive made free throws (48). He also ranks in the top-ten in team history in the following categories:
- Three-Point Field Goals Made (2nd / 266)
- Field Goal Attempts (3rd / 1,422)
- Total Points (4th / 1,769)
- Scoring Average (T5th / 17.8)
- Field Goals Made (T6th / 589)
Additionally, Green's two conference MVP seasons rank first and second in program history in both three-point field goal attempts and free throw percentage. He also holds additional single-season top-ten performances in three-point field goals made, field goals made and attempts, total points and free throw percentage.
A full list of Green's collegiate statistics and honors can be found HERE.
Green declared for the 2022 NBA Draft and signed a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks. Following a seven-game stint with the Bucks' NBA G-League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, he played 35 games with the NBA club in Milwaukee, notching the second-best three-point percentage among the league's rookie players at 42.3% and setting a new franchise rookie record.
During his second season with the Bucks, Green appeared in 56 games and helped Milwaukee to a Central Division title and playoff berth. In 2024-25, Green played in 73 of 82 regular season games with seven starts as the Bucks won the NBA Cup, the league's in-season tournament while notching a career-high 7.4 points a game with another postseason appearance.
Forty-seven games into his fourth NBA season this year, Green has averaged 10.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and 42.5% from three-point range..
AJ is the son of Kyle and Michele Green. His father, Kyle, spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach at UNI (2001-03, 2006-11, 2012-21) and is currently a men's basketball assistant coach at Iowa State. His younger sister, Emerson, played five seasons for the Panther women's basketball team (2020-25). AJ's wife, Kaylee, also played three seasons of volleyball at UNI (2019-21).
Sunday's game against Drake will begin at 2 p.m. CT with live coverage available on CBS Sports Network and the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix). Tickets can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
UNI men's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Men's Basketball), X (@UNImbb) and on Instagram (@uni_basketball). Schedule and roster information, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
