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Ohio State sophomore guard Roddy Gayle Jr. to enter transfer portal after two seasons
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Gayle was one of the most improved players in the Big Ten this season, but will now move on from Ohio State.
After a season that saw him double nearly every counting statistic from his freshman season to his sophomore season and led Ohio State in scoring six times, Roddy Gayle Jr. announced Wednesday that he will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and play his junior season elsewhere. Gayle played in every game in his first two seasons, appearing in all 71 and starting 46 of them.
In two seasons, Gayle averaged 9.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 44.7% overall and 33.1% from three-point range. Expectations were sky-high for the 6-foot-4, 210-pound sophomore from New York this season after he ended his freshman year by averaging 14.7 points per game in the Big Ten Tournament and hitting 9 of his 10 three-point tries.
He lived up to those expectations, nearly tripling his points per game (from 4.6 to 13.5) and rebounds per game (from 1.6 to 4.6). He more than tripled his assists per game, jumping from 0.9 to 3.1 per game. His free throw percentage stayed steady in the low 80’s (81% to 83.2%), and the only counting stat that noticeably fell off was his three-point percentage, which fell from 42.9% to 28.4%.
Gayle took twice as many attempts from three as a sophomore, which means the 42.9% was likely a bit above his real ability, but he also dealt with a nagging wrist injury all season that made it difficult to grip the ball and shoot at times.
“Rod,” as Bruce Thornton calls him, became an all-around contributor for the Buckeyes in his second year, leading Ohio State in points six times, rebounds four times, and assists eight times. He did struggle with turnovers in some games, but by the end of the season was able to get that number down to 2.4 per game. Gayle was also one of Ohio State’s best — if not the best — defenders, guarding multiple positions and sticking on the ball at a high level.
Gayle was a four-star recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to 247Sports. He was the No. 49 player in the class, the No. 2 shooting guard in the class, and the No. 2 player in the state of Utah. Gayle was the highest-ranked player in Ohio State’s 2022 cycle, which also included Thornton, Felix Okpara, Brice Sensabaugh, and Bowen Hardman.
His main recruiter was Jake Diebler, and the two have perhaps the closest relationship of any player on the team, going back to even before Diebler was head coach. Diebler being named head coach made many people think Gayle was a lock to return to Columbus until today. Replacing his contributions on both ends will be no easy task.
After Ohio State’s win over Cornell in the NIT, an emotional Gayle said, “I’m not ready for this group to be over with, for this family to be over with.” His obvious affection for Ohio State, paired with his relationship with Diebler, make this decision the most surprising outgoing transfer we can remember.
Gayle is originally from New York and was highly recruited by Syracuse, Georgetown, UConn, Marquette, and Pittsburgh as well as Ohio State.
Good luck to Roddy, wherever he winds up!
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Gayle was one of the most improved players in the Big Ten this season, but will now move on from Ohio State.
After a season that saw him double nearly every counting statistic from his freshman season to his sophomore season and led Ohio State in scoring six times, Roddy Gayle Jr. announced Wednesday that he will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and play his junior season elsewhere. Gayle played in every game in his first two seasons, appearing in all 71 and starting 46 of them.
In two seasons, Gayle averaged 9.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 44.7% overall and 33.1% from three-point range. Expectations were sky-high for the 6-foot-4, 210-pound sophomore from New York this season after he ended his freshman year by averaging 14.7 points per game in the Big Ten Tournament and hitting 9 of his 10 three-point tries.
He lived up to those expectations, nearly tripling his points per game (from 4.6 to 13.5) and rebounds per game (from 1.6 to 4.6). He more than tripled his assists per game, jumping from 0.9 to 3.1 per game. His free throw percentage stayed steady in the low 80’s (81% to 83.2%), and the only counting stat that noticeably fell off was his three-point percentage, which fell from 42.9% to 28.4%.
Gayle took twice as many attempts from three as a sophomore, which means the 42.9% was likely a bit above his real ability, but he also dealt with a nagging wrist injury all season that made it difficult to grip the ball and shoot at times.
“Rod,” as Bruce Thornton calls him, became an all-around contributor for the Buckeyes in his second year, leading Ohio State in points six times, rebounds four times, and assists eight times. He did struggle with turnovers in some games, but by the end of the season was able to get that number down to 2.4 per game. Gayle was also one of Ohio State’s best — if not the best — defenders, guarding multiple positions and sticking on the ball at a high level.
Gayle was a four-star recruit in the 2022 cycle, according to 247Sports. He was the No. 49 player in the class, the No. 2 shooting guard in the class, and the No. 2 player in the state of Utah. Gayle was the highest-ranked player in Ohio State’s 2022 cycle, which also included Thornton, Felix Okpara, Brice Sensabaugh, and Bowen Hardman.
His main recruiter was Jake Diebler, and the two have perhaps the closest relationship of any player on the team, going back to even before Diebler was head coach. Diebler being named head coach made many people think Gayle was a lock to return to Columbus until today. Replacing his contributions on both ends will be no easy task.
After Ohio State’s win over Cornell in the NIT, an emotional Gayle said, “I’m not ready for this group to be over with, for this family to be over with.” His obvious affection for Ohio State, paired with his relationship with Diebler, make this decision the most surprising outgoing transfer we can remember.
Gayle is originally from New York and was highly recruited by Syracuse, Georgetown, UConn, Marquette, and Pittsburgh as well as Ohio State.
Good luck to Roddy, wherever he winds up!
Continue reading...