Busting Brackets
Fansided

SoCon Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose

Mar 23, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Wofford Terriers guard Fletcher Magee (3) leads his team in a huddle before their game against the Kentucky Wildcatsin the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Wofford Terriers guard Fletcher Magee (3) leads his team in a huddle before their game against the Kentucky Wildcatsin the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 26
Next
SoCon Basketball Jeromy Rodriguez #11 of the East Tennessee State Buccaneers (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
SoCon Basketball Jeromy Rodriguez #11 of the East Tennessee State Buccaneers (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

19. Jeromy Rodriguez

A 6’7 forward from the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez went to high school in New Jersey before beginning his collegiate career at Northwest Florida State College. After blossoming into a junior college star, he transferred to East Tennessee State, beginning play with the program in 2018 after missing time due to an injury. He’d have two seasons in the SoCon and did what he could to make them count.

He’d fit right into Steve Forbes’ program, averaging 11.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game as a full-time starter as a junior. He’d help lead East Tennessee State to a 24-win mark and had some great performances, including a 20-point, 18-rebound affair at Mercer early in conference play. He’d miss time as a senior and his numbers were slightly less impressive, but Rodriguez continued to be a key part of the program, helping the Buccaneers to a 30-win season that included regular season and tournament titles in the SoCon.

Averaging a double-double during that junior season, Rodriguez was named First Team All-SoCon, becoming one of the nation’s top rebounders. He had a major impact for a Buccaneers program that spent the back half of the decade as one of the conference’s best. His contributions helped with that conference title, even if he missed time and didn’t have the same impact in his senior season. It’s also a shame that the pandemic prevented him from that well-earned trip to the Big Dance in 2020.