FORT COLLINS, CO. — David Roddy could have played basketball in the Big Ten. The 6-foot-5, 252-pound forward had interest from multiple major programs coming out of high school, including the University of Minnesota and Northwestern.
Roddy could have played football at the Division 1 level as well. North Dakota State and Wyoming both offered the former quarterback from Breck High School — and for good reason, Roddy was an All-State player in Minnesota, throwing for 1,776 yards and 20 touchdowns his senior year. Instead of suiting up for the Golden Gophers or pursuing a career on the gridiron, though, Roddy elected to follow his instincts and sign with the coaches that always believed in him.
In Saturday’s 26-point comeback victory over San Diego State Roddy’s play was everything that Niko Medved, Dave Thorson, and Co. envisioned when they made those recruiting trips to the land of 10,000 lakes just a few short years ago. He was aggressive with his touches but didn’t try to force takes that weren’t there. And when it was all said and done, Roddy ended up tying with Adam Thistlewood for the team lead in scoring (15 points), while pacing the squad in rebounds (12).
“He’s the most versatile guy I’ve ever coached. He can do everything,” Medved said postgame.
Jan 2, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; David Roddy (21) goes to the basket while defended by Aztecs forward Matt Mitchell (11) during the first half at Viejas Arena.
Medved continued, explaining that what makes Roddy so unique is he can initiate offense and score like a forward, but still handle the responsibilities of a center when necessary. So far this season, CSU’s most effective lineup during crucial situations has been the smaller, quicker group with Roddy at the five. For the lineup to work, though, it puts a lot of responsibility on Roddy individually. Both defensively and on the glass, Roddy has to shine; and when going up against an elite team with great length, like SDSU, that’s no easy task.
“It’s almost like playing five guards and it’s been really good for us,” Medved said of the smaller lineup. “We’ve been able to hold up defensively. We’ve been able to hold up on the boards. And we just have such an advantage on offense when we play that lineup.
“I envisioned him being able to do a little bit of everything,” Medved continued on Roddy. “What was really cool after the game, we won, David comes up, gives you a hug and is like, ‘coach, this is what we came here to do.’ I love him having that vision for the program. Him really knowing what this moment was and seizing it, and playing the way that he did, it was just awesome.”
As a freshman Roddy saw significant playing time and handled it well. He averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. And those figures jumped to 12.9 and 6.1, respectively, in league games. All things considered it was a pretty solid start for a first-year player in the program, particularly on the offensive end where his raw athleticism really shined.
Now a sophomore for the Green & Gold, Roddy has taken his game to the next level. The rising star has scored 14+ points in every game but one this season, and it just so happened to be the only one CSU has lost so far.
Roddy is 50 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the free throw line — meaning he’s doing a good job of getting the ball down low to score. And what’s great is that defenses can’t just body him because he’s much too good of a free throw shooter for the ‘hack-a-Shaq’ technique. At 30 percent for his career, he does leave a little to be desired from beyond the arc, but he’s certainly competent enough as a shooter from distance when the looks are available.
While his scoring has been a crucial part of CSU’s overall team success, what’s really stood out is the growth he’s shown on the defensive end, as well as on the glass. Through seven games, Roddy has four double-doubles — twice as many as he recorded in 32 games in 2019-20. And as Medved explained postgame, many of his minutes this year have come with him serving as the biggest man on the floor for CSU.
Jan 2, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; Aztecs guard Jordan Schakel (20) attempts a shot as Colorado State guard David Roddy (21) defends during the second half at Viejas Arena.
Going up against SDSU, Roddy had some of his toughest draws of the season with guys like Matt Mitchell and Nathan Mensah on the other end. He responded by keeping both players in check all game, including on Mitchell’s failed game-winning attempt, when Roddy successfully contested the veteran’s layup.
All game, no matter what the role was, Roddy was up for the task. It may have been John Tonje that hit an incredible game-winning shot — and man was that big-time — but without the dirty work done by Roddy all game, the comeback legitimately never would have been possible. He was a difference-maker in every sense of the word.
“They’re big guys,” Roddy said postgame. “Mensah is a great talent, he’s really physical — as well as Matt Mitchell. Just playing to my strengths and playing under control is really the only thing that I could do against that type of team.”
Roddy continued by crediting his teammates for knocking down jump shots all around him and for keeping the right mindset in a difficult situation.
“No matter the frustrations we have — or if we’re just missing shots or not getting calls — we have to play through it and embrace the adversity that’s given to us,” Roddy said. “I’m really proud of my team. That’s what we did.”
Following a momentous upset for the Rams, Roddy said that the team will enjoy the moment tonight but flip the focus back to Monday during Sunday’s practice.
“We basically have to forget that it happened,” Roddy said. “We have to play another great team again — a top-25 team in my opinion.”
The Ram Faithful, however, will never forget what went down at Viejas Arena Saturday afternoon. To upset the Aztecs 70-67 on their home floor after trailing by as much as 26 in the game was something straight out of a movie scene.
Obviously replicating that success on Monday will not be easy at all — particularly if the Aztecs come out with a new sense of focus and determination. But CSU could lose by double digits and it still wouldn’t change the fact that what the Rams accomplished this weekend was special.
Upsetting a true top 25 team on national TV is always a moment worth celebrating. Doing it the way CSU did just makes it that much more noteworthy.
“We just have to play to our strengths and see if we can get another one,” Roddy said.
Next Up: at San Diego State (Monday, 7:00 p.m. MT).
