According to a report from 247 Sports, Rodney Rice will not be taking any more official visits. After his latest trips to Louisville this past weekend and to Virginia Tech the week before, the ESPN and Rivals Top 50 guard has a lot to think about.
Rice was on-hand for an official visit to Virginia Tech on September 3 when the Hokies beat #10 North Carolina under the lights of Lane Stadium on national television. Hokie fans brought their 'A' game, embracing Rodney in a wave of electrifying noise and excitement, rushing the field, and sharing with him what makes Virginia Tech's fans the best in the nation.
Mike Young, Mike Jones (Rodney's lead recruiter), and the rest of the staff have a lot to feel good about in Rice's recruitment. Cacophonous, intimidating game environments are just one of them. Virginia Tech's basketball program is thriving and on the rise under Mike Young's leadership, having finished 3rd in the ACC in just Young's third season. The huge cash infusion and renovations coming to Cassell Coliseum will bring our palace of pandemonium into a new era that matches our program's championship-level play. Virginia Tech's track record of player development is equally impressive, transforming every player to come in, regardless of stars or ranking, into the absolute best version of themselves on and off the court. And, of course, there's Virginia Tech's staff. Regarded as two of the very best basketball minds in the business, reigning ACC Coach of the Year Mike Young and USA basketball/DMV legend Mike Jones carry universally respected reputations as integrous, upstanding coaches who are proven winners. The young men who come out of their programs and have benefitted from their tutelage not only go on to achieve their dreams, but carry the reputation of the coaches and the program with them. That's big when your eyes are on the NBA- you can focus on your game without worrying about distractions around your program you can't control.
What would Rodney Rice's role be with the Hokies? That's even more of a no-brainer. Uno's The Guy. Rodney's name has been at the top of Virginia Tech's recruiting list for so long, they may as well have carved it into the whiteboard. Rice does all the things you want a guard to do and he does it all at a very high level. From my earlier profile on Rice:
What makes Rodney Rice such a terrific prospect? Name it. He's an elite shot-maker. He can whip a crisp pass in traffic. He grabs rebounds. He defends. He facilitates. He has excellent court vision and awareness. Off-hand? Wrong foot? Through contact? Doesn't matter. He gets buckets. But anyone who's seen him light it up in person against Paul VI or Gonzaga knows Rodney Rice is a capital-C Competitor. He has a brand of hustle and drive that keeps your eyes glued to Rice despite being surrounded by other great players.
The Hokies want Rice, a high-IQ, proven playmaker, to take the ball on Day One, play his game, and run the team.
If Rice was to commit to the Hokies, the dominoes for the remainder of Tech's class would tumble into place. Mike Young already has the attention of several elite recruits, and there's plenty of reason to believe a pledge from a tenacious, smart, and athletic floor general like Rodney Rice would be the move that makes them pull the trigger for Virginia Tech. Surrounded by talented teammates with a drama-free, proven coaching staff, the ceiling for Rice and Tech would be sky-high. The only question is how many titles Rice would win before hitting the NBA Draft.
No date for a decision has been set as of now. Rodney and his family will have a lot to weigh between his choices. Hokies everywhere remain hopeful and confident Virginia Tech's record of success, impeccable reputation, and supportive family environment will win out in the end, as Rodney plans his next chapter as an elite competitor, taking down yesterday's blue blood programs. Exciting times! Stay tuned!
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