Gonzaga is still looking for their first commit from this transfer portal cycle. After the disappointing change in heart from Delaware freshman guard Izaiah Pasha who cancelled his visit to Spokane, one major name in Rodney Rice is standing out the most at the moment. His Zoom call with the coaching staff sounds like it went well earlier this morning.
The 6’4, 198-pound sophomore narrowed down his final six college choices to a return to the Maryland Terrapins, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Villanova Wildcats, Tennessee Volunteers, Auburn Tigers, and USC Trojans. This comes after the departure of former Maryland coach Kevin Willard who took over the Villanova job, something to keep in mind.
Rice is a Maryland native and one of the best available guards in the transfer portal. He averaged 13.8 points on 43.4 field goal percentage/37.4 three-point percentage/81.4 free throw percentage, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while helping lead the Terrapins to the Sweet Sixteen this past NCAA Tournament.
In his freshman campaign with the Virginia Tech Hokies in 2023-24, Rice put together a mere 7.3 points on 32.1 field goal percentage/33.3 three-point percentage/83.3 free throw percentage and 3.3 rebounds per game in just eight games played. He then decided to redshirt the following season in 2023-24.
The explosive athleticism when attacking the rim is evident, but what stands out the most is his smooth shooting stroke from beyond the arc. His playmaking has improved throughout his days with DeMatha Catholic up until now with Maryland. According to On3, Rice is ranked as the No. 27 overall player in the transfer portal and ranked as the No. 9 shooting guard available.
Rice has set visits to the Villanova Wildcats (April 10th-11th) and Tennessee Volunteers (April 12th-13th). Junior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, his backcourt partner in College Park and current Tennessee commit, will also make the trip to Knoxville alongside him. The pair was one of the best duos in all of the Big Ten Conference last season.
No official visit to Spokane has a date set for Rice at this point in time. The Zags currently have eight of next season’s 15 scholarship spots filled (Braeden Smith, Steele Venters, Emmanuel Innocenti, Jalen Warley, Braden Huff, Ismaila Diagne, Davis Fogle, Graham Ike). No word on if Huff will enter the portal which closes on April 22. Ike still has a decision to make with an extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA.
For some context regarding the updated Name, Image, and Likeness situation around Rice, his NIL roster value is expected at $925K (per On3). Gonzaga ranks as the No. 18 college basketball program with a $322K NIL average valuation.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho
