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'19 OH SF Ben Roderick (Ohio Verbal)

OLENTANGY LIBERTY'S BEN RODERICK HOPES OHIO STATE OFFER COMES AFTER RETURNING FROM ILL-TIMED ACL INJURY
Colin Hass-Hill on February 1, 2019 at 2:30 pm @chasshill
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Ben Roderick felt the momentum. He saw what might be coming.

As a junior at Olentangy Liberty in the spring of 2018, the recruitment for the high-scoring 6-foot-5 wing had picked up. He earned scholarship offers from a number of Mid-American Conference schools and other mid-major programs and had heard from teams in the Big Ten, including Ohio State.

Though the Buckeyes hadn’t offered, he knew he had a chance to garner even more interest – and scholarships – from them and other teams by finishing his high school season strong and impressing on the AAU circuit.

“I think the one game, I think it was the (Dublin) Coffman game, (Ohio State) came to see me play and it was my best game of the season,” Roderick said on Thursday. “I really thought things were going to ramp up there, and then, obviously, the injury happened.”

The injury.

The injury he says he has moved beyond. The injury he doesn’t particularly enjoy talking about. The injury that kept him out of action for eight months. The injury that suddenly halted the recruiting progress that had been ongoing since UT Martin mailed him a questionnaire during the summer after his freshman year of high school, marking the first time a college basketball program reached out to him.

“IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM TO PLAY THERE.”– BEN RODERICK ON OHIO STATE

Though Roderick didn’t know when feeling the initial pain on Jan. 31, 2018, he had suffered a torn ACL.

“ACL injuries, they swell up instantly and mine didn't, so I didn't think it would be that,” Roderick said on Thursday, marking the one-year anniversary of his injury. “But when I was walking, my knee would just give out. It just didn't feel right. I tried to go back in the game, I just really couldn't. A day later, I went to the doctor and he told me I had a torn ACL. We just went from there.”

Roderick’s first milestone on the path to recovery came when he began walking without crutches. Four months after the injury, he began running on an AlterG anti-gravity treadmill, which he say he thought was the “the coolest thing ever.” Shortly after, he began to walk, then run, on a regular treadmill. Next, his physical therapist allowed him to take jump shots on an indoor basketball hoop, which made him “the happiest kid on Earth.”

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...2QaMINxMIlw7QmAe3ehVPzIwWusC_XiXRVHxBRlhMWk8Q
 
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I have not seen Roderick play, so for those who have, whats the difference between he and Ahrens? Usually if a guy is 6'5" and has good athleticism/quickness and can shoot and handle the ball, he's listed as a 2G. Both of these guys are generally referred to as small forwards. Ahrens can shoot and is a decent athlete, but I think his designation is because he doesn't handle the ball well enough to be considered a guard. Are Rodericks ball skills better?
 
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I have not seen Roderick play, so for those who have, whats the difference between he and Ahrens? Usually if a guy is 6'5" and has good athleticism/quickness and can shoot and handle the ball, he's listed as a 2G. Both of these guys are generally referred to as small forwards. Ahrens can shoot and is a decent athlete, but I think his designation is because he doesn't handle the ball well enough to be considered a guard. Are Rodericks ball skills better?

For basketball, I'd say Roderick is an average athlete, probably somewhat similar to Ahrens in that area. Ahrens has a quicker and higher release on his outside shot so projects to be a better sharpshooter than Roderick. Roderick's more of a well-rounded 3-level scorer who has smoother ball skills and a better mid-range game than Ahrens. Gets to the basket more, too. I think mainly his average quickness/athleticism is the reason he's regarded more as a SF than a 2G, you're not gonna want him defending opposing 2Gs in a man defense. Which is fine, that's what we have Luther for.

Roderick does really need to work on his defensive effort and foot movement. I don't expect he will be much of a plus defender but he does have good length, so as long as he buys in on that end of the court I don't think he would be a major liability defending the 3, usually. Andre Wesson doesn't have great quickness but he uses his length and his effort to make it work defensively.
 
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More highlights of Roderick




Kid can def score but I'm still right on the edge with if they should offer or not... kid is definitely a 2 albeit a little slow of foot and I can see him one day being able to string together moves once he works diligently on his handle, I think that if he was slightly more explosive athletically I'd be all in.
 
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when you're an outgoing senior and no major program has offered despite you thinking you're good enough, you don't act like your college future is already in the bag. heck, not a single program anywhere has offered roderick since the fall of 2017.

if i'm his father or his coach, i lay into him with an expletive-filled tirade that would make bobby knight blush. the second gif ticks me off more than pretty much anything i've seen from a high school recruit. his opponent is directly beside him and racing back with the ball in his hand, yet roderick thinks it's time to jog and raise the roof. pathetic.


GI7Pt0s.gif


YZNgi9U.gif
 
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when you're an outgoing senior and no major program has offered despite you thinking you're good enough, you don't act like your college future is already in the bag. heck, not a single program anywhere has offered roderick since the fall of 2017.

if i'm his father or his coach, i lay into him with an expletive-filled tirade that would make bobby knight blush. the second gif ticks me off more than pretty much anything i've seen from a high school recruit. his opponent is directly beside him and racing back with the ball in his hand, yet roderick thinks it's time to jog and raise the roof. pathetic.


GI7Pt0s.gif


YZNgi9U.gif
I suppose that would be one thing if you're Zion Williamson. But you are Ben Roderick, and you struggle to finish transition layups against average high school defenders. I'm not seeing the type of player OSU needs here.
 
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Roderick does really need to work on his defensive effort and foot movement. I don't expect he will be much of a plus defender but he does have good length, so as long as he buys in on that end of the court I don't think he would be a major liability defending the 3, usually. Andre Wesson doesn't have great quickness but he uses his length and his effort to make it work defensively.
and there's the rub.


“When we saw him in [Amateur Athletic Union camps], we’d have an 8 a.m. game and Luther Muhammad would be out there doing that at an 8 a.m. game, the only guy on both teams with that personality,” Holtmann said. “The only guy. 8 a.m. game. Doing that.”

...

“Everyone who plays basketball likes to score. But what is scoring if your guy’s also scoring?” Muhammad said. “I just feel like it’s better when you score and also you get a stop, your man’s not scoring because if you score 20 and your man scores 20, you really ain’t scoring.”
link
 
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I suppose that would be one thing if you're Zion Williamson. But you are Ben Roderick, and you struggle to finish transition layups against average high school defenders. I'm not seeing the type of player OSU needs here.
one thing we've learned this season is that we're deprived of explosive playmaking. looking forward to 2020, we'll need that and more ballhandling/distributing. i question both about roderick.

the above video is just a snapshot of roderick and snapshots can be deceiving, but when you're already on the fence about adding a player for 2019, well...
 
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