General
Enrolled at Georgia Tech in the summer of 2020 following his transfer from Georgia, where he played his freshman year … Received immediate eligibility from the NCAA with the possibility of three years of eligibility at Tech … Played 70 games. starting 43, over his three seasons on The Flats, and stood six games short of 100 for his college career when he transferred out after the 2022-23 season … … Originally signed with Ole Miss before re-opening his recruitment following a coaching change there, and signed with the Bulldogs … Native of Michigan who attended high school in Alpharetta, Ga., prior to his senior year, which he spent at Legacy Charter School in South Carolina … Studying business administration.
2022-23 (senior at Georgia Tech)
In his third season at Tech, won the starting center job in the preseason of 2021-22 and held it for most of the season until February, when his playing time diminished as Ja’von Franklin took control of the post position … Averaged 4.7 points and 4.5 rebounds for the season while connecting on 55.2 percent of his shots from the floor (second behind Ja’von Franklin) … In ACC games, averaged 3.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, connected on 50 percent of his shots from the floor … Rebounded from an early slump to play well in December and January … Two double-figure scoring games in that stretch – 12 points and seven rebounds vs. Northeastern, 11 points and 11 boards vs. Alabama State, 10 boards vs. Pitt … Returned to the starting lineup for 12 straight games (4.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 29-for-50 FG) before sitting out NC State and playing short minutes against Notre Dame due to an ankle injury … Played just two minutes at Wake Forest and did not play after Tech’s Feb. 18 game vs. Florida Tech … Two double-doubles this season, five for his career … Got 11 points and 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes vs. Alabama State … Had 15 points and 13 boards in season opener vs. Clayton State … Good passer for his position, 68 assists over 47 games since beginning of 2021-22 season
2021-22 (junior at Georgia Tech)
In his second season as Tech after transferring from Georgia, won the starting center job in the preseason and played well during the non-conference schedule … Averaged 6.5 points, fourth-best on the team, and 5.1 rebounds, second-highest, over 27 games, hitting 56.1 percent of his field goals … Started first 11 games before missing the next five (all ACC games) with an ankle injury … Returned Jan. 19 to play vs. Wake Forest and started 14 of Tech’s final 16 games … Played his best basketball of the season in Tech’s last nine games – 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, 63.5 percent from the floor, more than 30 minutes per game … Notched his first two ACC double-doubles against NC State (14 points, 11 rebounds) and Syracuse (19 pts, 10 reb) … Late-season surge elevated his norms for ACC games to 6.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 59.2 percent from the floor … Played 30 minutes against FSU and grabbed seven rebounds, a career high for an ACC game, and added four points and six boards at Virginia Tech … Averaged 25.0 minutes a game overall and in ACC games … Increase in playing time contributed to him fouling out four times in Tech’s last nine games (seven total for the season) … Tech’s leader in blocked shots (20) and compiled a good assist/turnover ratio (40:40) for a post player … Scored in double digits nine times altogether, including 12 points (6-6 FG) with six rebounds vs. Charleston Southern, playing the final 16:58 with four fouls … Posted his first career double-double against Miami (Ohio) with career highs of 10 points and 14 rebounds … Eight points, seven rebounds at Georgia, all in the second half as he played with four fouls
2020-21 (sophomore at Georgia Tech)
Started Tech’s first two games in the post in 2020-21, with highs of six points and four rebounds against Mercer, but played limited minutes thereafter as Tech went to a small lineup … Played in 12 ACC games (DNP vs. Virginia on Feb. 10, Syracuse) for 66 total minutes as he has worked his way into more playing time … Played 11 of the last 13 games of the season … Scored a season-high eight points (4-7 FG) in season-high 16:35 at Miami … six points (2-2 FG, 2-2 FT) with five rebounds at Wake Forest … Played 18 key minutes off the bench in the ACC quarterfinal against Miami when Moses Wright incurred foul trouble … Played 10:01 vs. Delaware State (7 pts, 3-3 FG), 7:32 against North Carolina to help counter the Tar Heels’ army of big men, and 4:37 in the second meeting vs. FSU
2019-20 (freshman at Georgia)
Played in 24 games, including a pair of starts against N.C. Central and at Arizona State … Averaged 1.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 7.3 minutes of action per game, hitting 13-of-23 shots from the floor (56.5 pct.) … Finished second on the team in blocked shots (15) despite seeing a fraction of the playing time of the team leaders … Blocked three shots against South Carolina in Athens, the second-most by an Bulldog in a single game all season … Efficient from the floor in the first three games of the season, connecting on 80.0 pct. (4-of-5) of his shots … After single-digit minute tallies in the first five games of the season, logged 21 minutes of playing time against No. 3 Michigan State in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational … Played 14 minutes of the second half against the Spartans … Notched his first career start against N.C. Central and also got the nod at Arizona State … After playing a combined 34 minutes – with three DNPs – and grabbing seven rebounds in the Bulldogs’ first 10 SEC outings, collected a team-high six boards in 13 minutes against South Carolina in Athens … Also logged double-digit minutes at LSU in the regular-season finale
High School
Coached by B.J. Jackson as a senior at Legacy Charter … Only began playing basketball as a sophomore in high school and quickly burst into the national recruiting rankings … His status fluctuated between 2018-19, topping out at No. 106 in the 247Sports.com composite (No. 10 in Georgia, No. 36 among centers) in the summer of 2018 … Rated as a three-star recruit by 247sports.com, Rivals.com and in the 247Sports.com composite … As a senior, averaged 10.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game for Legacy’s Lions … Scored in double figures in 21 of 39 games, with eight double-double outings … Helped lead Legacy to a 34-5 record and the USA National Prep School National Championship … In three outings at the National Prep tournament, averaged 10.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 61.5 percent from the floor … Equaled his season high with 14 boards in a 58-46 win over Hillcrest Prep in the National Prep semifinals … Put up a season-high 20 points – and also collected 12 boards – against Franklin Prep … Played at Centennial High School in Alpharetta as a sophomore and junior, where he was coached by Lorenzo Withrite … As a junior, averaged 11.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for the Knights, earning all-region honors.
Coach Pastner says: “Rodney has really good size. He’s only played basketball for a few years, but I really liked him in high school. His best basketball is ahead of him, and we need to develop him. He’s a physical guy, a straight 5-man. He runs the floor hard, he’s a good screener, and he’s not afraid of physical contact in the post. He’s going to be a really good player, but it will be through player development, because he hasn’t been playing that long.”
