Green Bay’s 2019 recruiting class is set after receiving a verbal commitment from Japannah Kellogg earlier this month.

The 6’6” forward verbally committed to the Phoenix after a visit to Green Bay during the last weekend of September.

“After being on campus and meeting the rest of the coaching staff and team, I decided that was the place for me,” he told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “The location, I don’t think played a part at first. But in the end, it felt like home being at Green Bay.”

The lefthander from Ames, Iowa, averaged 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game last season at Ames High School.  His athleticism and versatility make him a perfect fit for Linc Darner’s philosophy of having multiple players on the court that can play more than one position.

Photo via Ames Tribune

As a 6’6” wing, he will join a 2019/2020 roster that will be filled with interchangeable parts that give Darner and his coaching staff plenty of flexibility.

“They told me I was versatile and fit their system really well, being able to have good on-ball defense, being able to guard multiple positions, being able to score from multiple places,” Kellogg told the Ames Tribune.

In addition explosive athleticism (he took second in the high jump at the Iowa state meet leaping 6’7”) and highlight reel dunks, Kellogg showed the ability to knock down jump shots. He also can hit from beyond the arc connecting on 46.9% (30/64) of his three point attempts last season as a junior at Ames.

“He used to be categorized as a slasher, but yet he still has a mid-range game and he still is effective around the basket,” Ames head coach Vance Downs told the Tribune. “So it’s very unique.”

“I don’t think he’s done growing, I think he’s still gonna get stronger. And when he learns to play with a low center of gravity, which he will as he gets older, that’s when he’s going to play his best basketball.”

Kellogg chose Green Bay over scholarship offers from Cal Poly and NJIT.  He also was receiving interest from other Midwest mid-majors such as UMKC and Miami of Ohio. He plays his AAU basketball with D1 Minnesota, one of the top ranked AAU teams in the country.

He joins 3-star prospect Amari Davis in Green Bay’s 2019 recruiting class to replace outgoing seniors Sandy Cohen and TJ Parham.  Barring any mid-season or off-season transfers, the Phoenix 2019 recruiting class is set.

Both Kellogg and Davis can make their verbal commitments official when the early signing period begins on November 14^th.