Recruiting Update: Joey Rodrick (2019 Cleveland HS)
Good things are happening for Joey Rodrick. As the talented 6-foot-4, 170-pound wing gets ready to start his senior season at Cleveland High School, he’s doing so having garnered recognition this off-season for his play and plenty of recruiting interest from college coaches as well. Rodrick is enjoying the entire process, knowing that the fruits of his labor are paying off big time.
Last month, part of Rodrick’s recognition came in the form of getting an invite to the prestigious Prime Time Top 40 Showcase in Portland where he held his own. “It was a really good experience and there was a ton of talent,” Rodrick said. “It was really fun, there were a ton of coaches there, and I worked as hard as I could. I played with AD (Aaron Deloney) and he definitely got me a lot of shots, and Nate Bittle – he’s a real talent. Our team did pretty well.”
Coaches were on hand to watch Rodrick, who spent quite a bit of time on his college recruitment this fall. He’s made a number of campus visits, including trips to Southern Oregon (an official visit), Pacific, and Pacific Lutheran. Rodrick went into detail about each school.
On Southern Oregon: “I really liked it there,” Rodrick said. “The coaches and players were great and I got a good feel for the guys. They just got a whole new renovated gym and new dorms, and they’re going to have a really good team this year. They plan on bringing in two guys – a guard and a post – and while they didn’t offer me there, they’ll be coming up for games. I’m in close contact with them and I text them all the time.”
On Pacific: “Coach Lunt is a really good dude,” Rodrick said. “What I liked most is his demeanor – he is fired up. His offense is very high tempo which I like and they have a lot of guys – it’s different in that it’s five in and five out and they get up and down and score 100+ points a game.”
On Pacific Lutheran: “I definitely like PLU,” Rodrick said. “They’re rebuliding right now but they have a lot of good guys and are looking for a comeback year. It’s a great campus – it has a real good college feel for a smaller school and it’s not too far from home in Tacoma.”
Rodrick noted that Southern Oregon could be close to offering a scholarship, but he’s still committed to playing the season out before making any decisions. Other schools he’s also heard from recently include Biolar, Lewis-Clark State, and George Fox. He’s hoping that his final year of high school basketball will be rock solid.
“This year we’ve got a lot of younger guys and I think we’ve got a good chance to be really good,” Rodrick said. “Last year we went down to North Medford in the first round and lost but I think we can make it a little deeper (in the playoffs). We’ve got a lot of guys that are hungry and have a lot of heart and are ready to go after it. We’re going to be smaller but we have a ton of talent.”
Rodrick currently ranks as the #28 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2019 rankings.