Seton Hall's Desi Rodriguez
Let’s face it, when college basketball fans turn their attention to the Seton Hall Pirates, the first name to squeeze its way into the conversation is that of Angel Delgado. And rightfully so, after all, Delgado led the nation in rebounding last year and has more double-doubles to his name than Donald Trump has hotels.
But that second name, the next Pirate to enter the conversation, is probably Desi Rodriguez, the sweet-shooting senior lefty who is currently leading Seton Hall in scoring at 17.8 points per game, good for eighth in the BIG EAST.
In fact, Rodriguez has been so effective this season - he’s led the Pirates in scoring in four of their six games this season - that Pirates head coach Kevin Willard has on more than one occasion described his senior guard/forward as an “elite” player in college basketball.,
That hasn’t gone unnoticed by Rodriguez.
“I just think coach believes in my game and he knows I’m capable of doing a lot,” Rodriguez said. “He’s seeing I’ve become the player he always wanted me to be. Now I think people are starting to notice who I am becoming and how much hard work I’m putting in. So I’m happy for that.”
Rodriguez’ road to “elite” status can be traced back to a decision he made following his sophomore season at Frederick Douglass Academy, where he dominated on the PSAL ‘B’ level. But what Rodriguez really wanted was to run with the big dogs on the New York City high school basketball scene and that’s what led him to Brooklyn powerhouse Lincoln, where he became teammates and fast friends with former Seton Hall star Isaiah Whitehead.
One PSAL city championship and a title-game MVP award followed as Rodriguez proved he was a prime time player. What followed has been a career that has improved by leaps and bounds in each of his four seasons in South Orange.
“I think that decision, leaving FDA for Lincoln, changed my life,” Rodriguez said. “Making that decision bettered me as a person and just made me believe in myself more. The transfer to Lincoln just opened up all these opportunities and I was able to be on the big stage and people were able to recognize the kind of player I am.”
Now Rodriguez is part of the only team in the nation with three 1,000-point scorers in its starting five, along with Delgado and Khadeen Carrington. That fact alone makes for a confident group of Pirates every time they take the floor.
“We all have trust in each other knowing we all put in the hard work to become 1,000-point scorers,” Rodriguez said. “Now we just got to keep being the leaders on our team as seniors and lead our team to victories.
Speaking of victories, the Pirates have five in their first six games with the lone blemish on their ledger coming in a one-point loss to Rhode Island on Thanksgiving Day. Rodriguez was held to 12 points in that game but responded to the defeat with a season-high 27 in the Hall’s victory over Vanderbilt last Friday, his 13th career game with 20-plus points.
It’s that kind of production and a sterling college career that has made Rodriguez something of a celebrity back in the Bronx neighborhood where he grew up.
“There’s a big mural of me painted on the wall of my old elementary school right up the street from where I’m from,” Rodriguez said. “So anytime you pass by the school you’ll see me on the wall. It’s kind of unreal but at the same time I’m happy that I’m setting an example for the younger guys in the community. When I go back to the neighborhood I’m able to speak to the younger guys. If I ever make it big I’m definitely going to go back and give back and let people know that if you ever get an opportunity like I did you got to take advantage of it.”
Rodriguez’ celebrity status at home and his superlative play on the hardwood has even taken his mom, Dana, by surprise. But he says she is really enjoying the ride.
“She’s just overwhelmed,” Rodriguez said. “She’s happy. She didn’t know I was going to be this person. I was never a troubled kid and she always wanted me to do good, but now I see how proud she is of me. You can see the tears on her face and the excitement she has for what I’ve accomplished. I’m just happy for all of that, that I make my mom proud and keep her in good spirits.”
Rodriguez has steadily built his numbers up in his three-plus seasons with the Pirates, averaging 5.6 points a game in his freshman season before posting 12.4 points in his sophomore campaign and 15.7 per game last season. And it all came about, Rodriguez said, because of sacrifice.
“All the time you could have fun and enjoy the summer, I was in the gym most of the time working on my craft,” Rodriguez said. “My mindset was I got to make it someway, somehow. I think all that work is paying off now.”
The Pirates will battle No. 22 Texas Tech and its 6-0 record Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in the Under Armour Reunion at 6:30 p.m. It’s another big stage for Rodriguez to play on and another stiff test for the Hall, which is sitting just off the AP Top 25 after being ranked as high No. 20 last week.
So just how good does Rodriguez think this Pirates team can be?
“We’re confident we can be a Final Four team,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of people say we can be a Sweet 16 team but I think we can be a Final Four team. I got confidence in my guys and I can honestly say this is the best team I’ve been a part of since I’ve been at Seton Hall.”