Maryland shooting guard Rodney Rice is visiting Tennessee basketball this weekend as the Vols hone in on one of their top targets in the transfer portal, Volquest’s Grant Ramey first reported and sources confirmed to RTI on Tuesday afternoon.
Rice is one of the top shooting guard available in the transfer portal after averaging 13.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in his sophomore season at Maryland. The 6-foot-4 guard made 80 three-pointers last season while making a strong 37% of his attempts from deep.
A Clinton, Maryland native, Rice was even better in conference play. Over the last 20 games of Maryland’s season, Rice averaged 15.5 points per game while helping lead the Terrapins to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2016. He averaged 14.8 points in Big 10 regular season games.
Rice was roommates and close friends with point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie last season at Maryland. Gillespie, who averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 assists per game in his lone season in College Park, committed to Tennessee last Friday.
Following his commitment, Gillespie told RTI that he was recruiting Rice hard in hopes that the talented shooting guard would follow him to Knoxville.
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“Look at the year we had here together,” Gillespie said. “We were roommates. We’re really close. That’s my pitch. Look at what we’re able to do here in one year. What can we do in two years?”
Gillespie plans on being in Knoxville this weekend for Rice’s visit according to a source.
Rice is one of the top players available in the transfer portal with 247sports ranking him as a four-star and the No. 21 player in the portal, On3 ranking him as a four-star and the No. 30 player in the portal and EvanMiya ranking him as a four-star and the No. 73 player available in the portal.
The rising junior shooting guard entered the transfer portal after Maryland head coach Kevin Willard left to be the head coach at Villanova. Kentucky and Michigan are two other schools pushing for the blue-chip guard. Rice started his career at Virginia Tech but transferred to Maryland after an injury filled freshman season.
Tennessee basketball is looking to rebuild its roster after losing six of its top eight players on last season’s Elite Eight team to graduation. The Vols are in desperate need of backcourt production in the transfer portal. Ja’Kobi Gillespie provides that at point guard and Rice could easily be that guy at shooting guard.
Rick Barnes and his staff currently have four scholarships to work with. They return four scholarship players from last season’s team, add three high school prospects and have Gillespie and Vanderbilt forward Jaylen Carey committed out of the transfer portal.
