Rodney Rice Deciding Between Three Schools

As we move through April, the transfer portal continues to bring excitement to the college basketball world. Breakout star and former Maryland and Virginia Tech guard Rodney Rice entered the portal almost two weeks ago and is slowly coming to a decision. There are currently three teams believed to be in contention for his services.

Rodney Rice Deciding Between Three Schools

Tennessee

The leader for Rice’s services appears to be the Tennessee Volunteers. Over the past few years, Knoxville has become an attractive destination for top transfers. First, it was Dalton Knecht, then Chaz Lanier, and now they have landed Ja’Kobi Gillespie. This streak could continue with the addition of Rice. Tennessee is appealing for a few reasons. First is the chance to reunite with the aforementioned Gillespie, as the two made up one of the best backcourts in the country at Maryland last season. Second is the large NIL figure associated with the move. The Vols have one of the largest NIL collectives and are not afraid to use it. However, Rice has expressed interest in playing point guard, so he may not want to Robin to Gillespie’s Batman once again.

Villanova

Another school mentioned in Rice’s recruitment is Villanova. Only a short drive up the road from College Park, Villanova would allow Rice, a Maryland native, to remain somewhat close to home. It also gives him a chance to reunite with his former coach, Kevin Willard, who is now the leader of the Wildcats. Villanova also has a lot of playing time available. Many of its players hit the transfer portal or exhausted eligibility. This means Rice will be able to be a focal point in the offense. Additionally, Villanoca is rumored to have one of the biggest NIL collectives in the country. The Wildcat faithful were not pleased with the performances of former coach Kyle Neptune and have raised a lot of money to return to winning ways.

USC

The final school mentioned in Rice’s recruitment is USC. The Trojans had a disappointing inaugural campaign in the Big Ten. After finishing 7-13 in the conference, Eric Musselman decided to do what he did best- hit the transfer portal. He is attempting to bring in Rice as a veteran scoring presence that the team lacked last season. USC is an attractive destination for Rice due to NIL and playing time. It also gives him the ability to play point guard with the transfer of Wesley Yates. The Trojans will be a serious contender in Rice’s recruitment.