Div. II standout plays by rules of his religion

Kelvin Green is California University of Pennsylvania's best player. The 6-foot-6 Philadelphian can shoot, go strong to the basket, and rebound at either end.

But no matter how clever a game plan Vulcans coach Bill Brown devises for today's NCAA Division II East Regional matchup with West Liberty State, he'll never find a way to get Green the ball.

That's because the senior - though healthy and eager to perform in what would be his first NCAA tournament game - won't even be in the Wilson, N.C., arena when his team plays in that first-round matchup at 2:30 p.m.

Instead, he'll be relaxing in a nearby hotel room, unaware of the game's score, undismayed by the incongruity of his situation, unconcerned by his absence on what should be the biggest day of his college career.

"I'm used to it," Green said in a telephone interview this week. "I've been doing it this way all my life."

A Mount Airy native, Green is a Seventh-Day Adventist. He honors his denomination's prohibition against work or play on the Sabbath, the span between sundowns on Friday and Saturday.

When California plays on Friday nights or Saturday afternoons, Green typically attends church, reads the Bible in his room, or hangs out with friends. He won't watch from the stands or even listen to games on the radio. On the road, he usually remains at the team hotel.

"I don't even want to be in the gym," he said. "There are all kinds of other distractions there."

As frustrating as all that might be for California's fans, it's a practice that pleases the Western Pennsylvania school's opponents.

Green is such a significant factor for the Vulcans, the East Region's seventh seed, that at least one team, Edinboro, rescheduled a home game for earlier on a Saturday so that he couldn't participate.

Conversely, Brown often has attempted to persuade opponents to alter their start times to accommodate his star, a request they typically refuse.

The player's devotion to his faith forced him to miss six of California's 29 games this season. The 23-6 Vulcans went 4-2 in those contests. In several other games, conflicts limited Green's playing time to two or three quarters.

A week ago, he sat out the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Friday night semifinal at California. Visiting Cheyney upset the Vulcans, 67-65.

"I knew the situation when Kelvin transferred," said Brown, the PSAC's coach of the year in this, his first full season since diabetes necessitated the amputation of his right leg below the knee. "He's an outstanding young man, and neither I nor his teammates have had any trouble with him honoring his commitment.

"In fact," said Brown, "if you hear of any 7-foot Seventh-Day Adventists, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know."

Green's previous coach wasn't quite so understanding.

Coppin State's Ron "Fang" Mitchell was upset when the then-freshman Green sat out a 2004 MEAC Tournament final against Florida A&M. That loss kept Coppin State out of the NCAA tournament.

According to Green, Mitchell told his second-leading scorer that kind of thing "couldn't happen again" the following season.

"Everything was fine there until we lost that game," said Green. "Coach said I cost the school a lot of [NCAA tournament] money." Mitchell could not be reached for comment.

Green had a friend, Sherif Bray, who played at California. He inquired about playing there, transferred in the spring of his freshman year, and, because of the unusual circumstances, was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.

He became a key contributor as a California sophomore and junior and this year was a team leader. His 11.7 scoring average was third best on the Vulcans and his 6.3 rebounds a game topped the team. He was named a second-team all-PSAC performer.

"He'd probably be our conference's player of the year if he played all the time," said Brown. "I don't think people understand the sacrifices Kelvin has made. A lot of games he played only a half or less. But he's a kid who honors the commitments he's made."

Green went to high school at the Perkiomen School. At that Pennsburg boarding school, he missed only a handful of games, in large part because the athletic director successfully rescheduled many potential conflicts.

Both Brown and Green said California's other players - two of whom are from the Philadelphia area, Greg Parker of Cardinal O'Hara and Abington Friends' John Owens - have handled the unusual circumstances well.

"They know what the situation is," said Brown. "And through it they've learned a lot of valuable lessons, like how to handle adversity. When he isn't there, they know they have to step up their games."

Green said, "They know how it is. They respect my decision."

Still, the player realizes there are many who will never understand how a senior star can forgo the chance to play in an NCAA tournament game.

"Those are the people who don't have the right priorities," he said. "They don't understand that I have to do what I think is right."

If the Vulcans win today, they'd play again tomorrow against the Millersville-Mount Olive winner. Green could participate. But if they lose, he will have missed the final two games of his college career, both of them losses.

"It will hurt if I don't get to play another game," Green admitted. "But this is the way it is. I've been doing this forever."

A sports-management major on track to graduate on time, Green wants to work with young children one day. Until then he hopes to play basketball overseas.

"I'm planning on playing in Israel for a few years," he said with a laugh. "That way there won't be any problem with the Sabbath."