After disheartening detour, Rodney Rice Jr. thriving for Maryland basketball and continuing a family tradition
Tucked away somewhere in his home, Rodney Rice Sr. has three carefully preserved editions of The Washington Post. One is from 1960, another from 1983, and the most recent from 2022. Each features the same name printed in bold, black font: Rodney Rice.
Tucked away somewhere in his home, Rodney Rice Sr. has three carefully preserved editions of The Washington Post. One is from 1960, another from 1983, and the most recent from 2022. Each features the same name printed in bold, black font: Rodney Rice.
His son, Rodney Rice Jr., carries a rich basketball history. Maryland basketball's starting guard is the fourth in his family to bear his name. His grandfather and father, also named Rodney, excelled in basketball. The group is the first grandfather-father-son trio to all be selected to the All-Met team, Rodney Rice Sr. said.
"The Rice name," Rice Sr. said. "Means something in the [Washington] D.C. basketball world."
Rice's grandfather starred at Fairmont Heights High in the early 1960s. His father was the Washington Post Player of the Year in 1983 and played college basketball at Richmond. Now he's trying to carry on the legacy in his own way.
The Terps guard diverted from his father's preferred path by attending DeMatha - his father's biggest rival in high school (Rice Sr. went to St. Johns). He was offered $600,000 over two years plus $150,000 in NIL opportunities to attend Overtime Elite Academy, according to a Capital News Service article. Then he attended school at Virginia Tech - more than 200 miles from home.
But family has always played a critical role. He made his collegiate decision at his family's breakfast table. Rice is extremely close with his two sisters, Jasmine and Jenai, his father said.
That's why it was incredibly difficult for Rice's father to watch his son suffer at Virginia Tech. Rice, who had only endured minor injuries prior to college, suffered a broken ankle and a hand injury that sidelined him for 26 games. Then after he departed from Virginia Tech, Rice wasn't allowed to compete during the 2023-24 season due to NCAA guidelines. His final game as a Hokie was on March 15, 2023. It was 600 days before he could compete again.
So, Rice fell back to what was comfortable. He returned back home in 2023.
"It definitely was difficult. I didn't want to watch basketball," Rice said.
This version Rodney was different, his father said.
"I never knew that Rodney. It's always been about basketball," Rice Sr. said.
Rice slowly returned to the gym. He rehabbed, aiming to regain trust in his game. Maryland coach Kevin Willard called and had a strong connection to Rice. Former assistant coach Mike Jones coached Rice at DeMatha and Virginia Tech.
Maryland needed three-point shooting at the guard position, so it was an obvious fit for Rice. Still, he was an unproven commodity. Rice hadn't played in real games in more than a year-and-a-half after he averaged only seven points per game in seven appearances at Virginia Tech.
But he has thrived in College Park, becoming a key piece of the program's resurgence after a rare losing record last season. After starting the season on the bench, Rice has rediscovered himself. The sophomore is averaging 12.7 points per game and making 36.9% of his three-pointers.
Rice nailed a game-winning three in a critical road game against Indiana at Assembly Hall. He's hitting two triples per game in the Big Ten. He's also playing the best defense of his career. It was a throwback to his father's career; Rice Sr. led Richmond to a major upset win against Indiana in the 1988 NCAA Tournament.
"The best thing I can say about Rodney is he's really fun to coach," Willard said. "The difference when he's on the court with the difference when he's off the court has been huge."
Rice, who was also recruited by then-Maryland coach Mark Turgeon as a high schooler, has fit perfectly into the Terps rotation and as a backcourt partner with his roommate, Ja'Kobi Gillespie. The marriage between player and situation has been perfect. Rice's father feels validated watching his son thrive on a large stage. Watching your son thriving, as he said, is every dad's dream.
"It's been a really, really good thing for everybody," he said.
