Maryland transfer Rodney Rice is checking out Philadelphia. The 6’4″ guard will head to Villanova on a visit Friday after averaging 13.8 points per game under head coach Kevin Willard at Maryland, according to basketball insider Adam Zagoria.
Maryland Guard Rodney Rice Visiting Villanova and Former Coach Kevin Willard
As reported by Adam Zagoria, it seems Willard is hoping to reunite with his former player after leaving the Terrapins for the Wildcats.
Maryland transfer G Rodney Rice will visit @NovaMBB beginning Friday, per source
The 6-foot-4 sophomore averaged 13.8 ppg last season under Kevin Willard at Maryland pic.twitter.com/xtRJarzFDJ
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 10, 2025
Rice will head to Tennessee this weekend to visit with the Volunteers.
Rodney Rice, who has also been contacted by Kentucky, Michigan, USC, and Gonzaga, would be the first Terrapin to follow Willard to Villanova. He could also opt to join guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie in Tennessee.
Rice had an injury-riddled freshman year at Virginia Tech, during which he played in only eight games due to an ankle injury in August and a broken finger in January. He transferred to Maryland in October 2023 and was forced to sit out the 2023-24 season due to transfer rules.
In 2024-25, he finally got on the court consistently. Rice started 32 of 36 games for Maryland, finishing the year third on the team in minutes, with 31.1 per game. He also finished third on the team in points and second in assists, putting up 13.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on the year.
Rice put up a career-high 28 points in just his second game with Maryland, an 86-52 drubbing of Mount St. Mary’s in November. He hit the 20-point threshold six times, including 26 in a win against Illinois in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinal.
RELATED: Maryland’s Derik Queen Shows Emotional Response to Head Coach Kevin Willard’s Move to Villanova
In the Terrapins’ NCAA tournament run, Rice struggled, shooting only 31.6% from the floor and 35.3% from three. He scored nine points on 3-11 shooting in the team’s 81-49 first-round win over No. 13 Grand Canyon and 16 points on 5-17 shooting in the team’s buzzer-beating 72-71 win over No. 12 Colorado State in the second round.
Against eventual national champion No. 1 Florida in the Sweet 16, Rice was held to 12 points on 4-10 shooting in the team’s 87-71 loss.
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