Multiple reports have former Mississippi State University guard Rodney Hood heading to Duke University.
ESPN.com and Fox Sports reported Saturday evening the former Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Mississippi has decided to transfer to the Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouse coached by Mike Krzyzewski, Division I men’s college basketball’s all-time leader in wins.
As late as last week, Hood had narrowed his choices to Duke and Ohio State University and a decision from the Hood family was expected in the coming days.
Multiple attempts by The Dispatch on Saturday evening to contact Hood to verify the reports were unsuccessful.
“It was just a long, tough year for me,” Hood said in April when he announced his intention to transfer. “Coach (Rick) Ray will be a great asset to Mississippi State, and getting to know him last week made this decision even harder, but after much thought, I am going to ask for a release. I wish my teammates and the program nothing but the best.”
When Hood made his announcement, Ray downplayed the news, saying the decision “was made before” he was hired as the school’s 19th men’s basketball coach to replace Rick Stansbury, the school’s all-time leader in wins, who retired in March after 14 seasons as head coach
Hood was named to the All-Southeastern Conference Freshman team after averaging 10.3 points and 4.8 rebounds this past season. He suffered a deep bone bruise to his left knee in a 73-64 loss to the University of Kentucky on Feb. 21 in Starkville. The injury caused him to miss the next game against the University of Alabama, and he didn’t play more than 21 minutes in the next three games. He had eight points in 45 minutes in a season-ending 101-96 double-overtime loss to the University of Massachusetts in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on March 13.
Ricky Hood, Rodney’s father, who transferred from MSU to Murray State University more than 30 years ago, said his son made up his mind two months ago to transfer. He said the hiring of Ray had nothing to do with the decision.
“Rodney came home for a weekend with the family and after lots of talking he decided he wanted to ask for a release from his basketball scholarship at Mississippi State,” Ricky Hood said in MSU’s official
release in April. “He said it’s been a long, hard, and difficult year at Mississippi State as far as basketball is concerned. He’s enjoyed the atmosphere and academic side of Mississippi State, but he didn’t know if he could be fair to coach Ray and be 100 percent committed.”
According to NCAA transfer rules, Hood must sit out the 2012-13 season and won’t be able to travel with the Blue Devils, but he will be able to practice once he enrolls in school.
Hood will be joined on Duke’s inactive roster this season by guard Andre Dawkins. Krzyzewski announced Dawkins’ intention to redshirt June 21 in his summer media teleconference.
Duke (27-6) lost to Lehigh University 75-70 in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Greensboro, N.C., this past season.
Hood’s decision to leave MSU left Ray with a team that lost six of its top seven scorers from a squad that averaged 63.8 points per game in 2011-12.
The loss of Hood, the 16th-best recruit in the country two years ago according to Rivals.com, means sophomore forward Roquez Johnson (3.2 minutes per game in 14 games last season) is the only remaining member of Stansbury’s five-man recruiting class in 2011.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
