FORT COLLINS — David Roddy’s impact on the Colorado State men’s basketball program is undeniable.
Roddy, along with the rest of the 2019 signees came to CSU in Niko Medved’s second season on the job and helped transform what was a team in disarray into a contender in the Mountain West Conference.
The process was not always smooth. Even in the 2021-22 season there were hiccups like the UNLV losses, but going back to his freshman year at CSU (2018-19), it was always clear what Roddy could become and the heights that this group could potentially reach together.
In just his second Division 1 game overall and first true road game, CSU traveled to Cameron Indoor Arena to face No. 4 Duke. Unsurprisingly, the Rams ended up getting steamrolled by the Blue Devils, 89-55, in one of the best college basketball venues in the country, but the atmosphere never appeared to be too big for the versatile forward from Minnesota or his running mate Isaiah Stevens.
Nov 8, 2019; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Wendell Moore Jr. (0) shoots over Colorado State Rams guard David Roddy (21) during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Roddy and his then-freshman point guard tied for the team lead in scoring with 12 points apiece. And while he was certainly still raw as a basketball player back then — it was his first season focusing solely on hoops after being a three-sport star throughout high school — you could just see that Roddy felt right at home in the spotlight.
In total he had 12 points, six rebounds, a pair of assists, one steal and a highlight dunk in 21 minutes of action. Looking beyond the numbers, though, it was the first time Ram Nation got to see the type of edge that Roddy would bring to every game. It did not matter that Duke was bigger, deeper, etc, Roddy attacked fearlessly and it really set the tone for the rest of his collegiate career.
Although he had already scored in double-digit figures 14 times at this point, Roddy’s most memorable performance his freshman year was a 26-point explosion against Fresno State. Rocking a fresh haircut, Roddy hit 11-of-17 attempts from the floor and completely dominated on both ends despite being matched up against Nate Grimes, who had about three inches of height on him.
What was particularly cool about his game, aside from the fact that he absolutely balled out, was that he did it on the night that the Rams teamed up with UC Health to honor cancer patients by donning their names on the backs of the jerseys instead of the player’s.
Following the game, Roddy didn’t come to the podium and brag about his big-time performance, instead he talked about how much it meant to him to represent the various families. “I just really wanted to play for them,” Roddy said.
That’s the thing about Roddy — in a game that can easily be dominated by ego in the wrong situations — he was always the unselfish superstar. If Roddy had a big scoring night, he’d credit the passing and hard work from his teammates to help him to get those points. If Roddy came up with a big block on the defensive end, then he’d praise the rotations and positioning of the other guys on the floor. As talented as he is, Roddy’s most redeeming quality may actually just be his personality. He’s the type of player that guys want to be teammates with and that coaches dream of getting the opportunity to work with. It’s a big reason why he got better each and every year at CSU.
Jan 31, 2022; David Roddy (21) battles against Wyoming Cowboys forward Graham Ike (33) during the first half at Arena-Auditorium. Photo: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports
Over the years there have been some extremely talented hoopsters to come through the program, I’m not sure that any developed quite as much as Roddy did these past three seasons, though. That’s not to say that he wasn’t a star on the rise — because he clearly was — but the improvement he showed on both ends from his freshman to sophomore year, and then his sophomore to junior year, were extremely significant.
Early on in his career Roddy relied almost exclusively on his athletic ability, which was fine against lower competition, but tended to expose him defensively at times against better scorers; particularly guys that were crafty in the post. As a result of this Roddy occasionally got himself into foul trouble hacking guys in the paint. By his sophomore year, Roddy found his groove on defense — and all of a sudden CSU had a guy that could guard one through five and also presented one of the most unique matchup mismatches in the game offensively.
After recording 76 personal fouls and scoring 365 points in 820 minutes as a freshman, Roddy recorded just 52 fouls and scored 446 points in 882 minutes as a sophomore. He then went crazy as a junior, scoring 595 points and committing 71 fouls in 1,021 minutes, en route to being named the 2021-22 MWC Player of the Year.
This past season Roddy put together one of the most memorable runs by any individual CSU basketball player ever, as he scored in double-digit figures in all but three of the Rams’ 31 games and consistently led CSU through some of its biggest moments.
When CSU went down to the Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam, an event that the Rams ultimately took the title at, Roddy averaged 31 points on 70 percent shooting from the floor over the three games. Against Creighton he scored a career-high 36 points and hit seven of 10 threes in a 95-81 win.
David Roddy (21) shoots a three-pointer over San Diego State’s Keshad Johnson (0) during their game at Moby Arena in Fort Collins on Friday, Feb. 4, 2022.
Coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Wyoming up in Laramie, when the Rams desperately needed a win over San Diego State to keep pace with the other top teams in the league, it was Roddy that nailed the game-winning jump shot with just 9 seconds left to play. It was Roddy that led CSU in scoring with 26 points in the revenge win over Wyoming at Moby Arena, too. Afterwards Roddy stood in a sea of Ram fans with a grin on his face from ear to ear, soaking in every second of the magic we got to experience in Moby Arena that night.
It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing that we won’t ever get to see Roddy lead CSU to victory again. Like many of you, I hoped for one more season with Roddy, Stevens and the rest of the crew. When he ultimately hears his name called out on Thursday night, though, and Roddy’s NBA dreams come to fruition, I won’t be thinking about what could have been for the Rams in this upcoming season or anything like that. Instead I’ll smile and think about just how special these last three years have been. Watching this group grow up together has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my young career and I genuinely wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Congratulations and best of luck, David. All of Ram Nation is behind you.
