Willie Rodriguez doesn’t say much. The Binghamton men’s basketball sophomore forward is the quiet type when speaking to the media, answering questions directly with a sentence or two, in a hushed tone. But on the court, Rodriguez is anything but quiet.
As a freshman last season, Rodriguez showcased his diverse skill set on the floor. He led BU in points per game during the 2014-15 season, averaging 11.8 per contest. Rodriguez’s 31.6 minutes and 5.5 rebounds per contest also were tops on Binghamton. By the end of the season, Rodriguez had developed into a star.
“Last year was a big learning experience for me,” Rodriguez said. “I had to get used to the strength, the speed. Everything was at another level from high school to college. I transitioned well towards the end of the year, started playing well.”
Rodriguez was never supposed to be Binghamton’s star last season. Then-junior guard Jordan Reed had been expected to lead the Bearcats. Rodriguez and his fellow freshmen were supposed to be role players in 2014-15, providing scoring, rebounding and defense behind Reed.
This proposed team dynamic was shattered, however, when Reed announced his intentions to transfer from the program just five games into the season. Without Reed, the Bearcats needed scoring. That void was filled by Rodriguez and his classmate, forward Dusan Perovic.
However, the duo did not share the court for long. In the beginning of January, Perovic tore his ACL in practice. He went on to miss the remainder of the season, leaving Rodriguez, then just a freshman, as the Bearcats’ lone go-to scoring option.
Rodriguez thrived in that role, finding ways to attack the paint and get to the basket. Despite having to drive through multiple help defenders at certain points during the season, Rodriguez displayed a knack for finding pathways to rim and scoring when he got there.
He scored 19 points and grabbed six boards in the Bearcats’ victory over Maine on January 10, the first game after Perovic suffered his injury. He recorded 18 points in BU’s upset victory over Vermont in mid-February and poured in 19 points in Binghamton’s near-upset of Stony Brook in the America East Tournament quarterfinal round. Rodriguez was named to the AE All-Rookie team for his efforts.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it was something I expected,” Rodriguez said about becoming the Bearcats’ most potent offensive threat. “It made me work harder besides practice. It made me get extra workouts in. My coaches — [BU assistant] coach [Herb] Courtney in particular — [helped me] get a lot of extra workouts in.”
Despite his success as a freshman, Rodriguez did struggle in one area — shooting the 3-point shot. He shot just 21.9 percent from deep last year and never drained more than two triples in any single contest. This year, Rodriguez has worked to add the 3-pointer to his repertoire, making him even more difficult to guard.
“I’ve been working on my jump shot a lot,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully I can show that in the next couple of games … Instead of [defenders] just waiting for me in the paint, they’re going to have to come out and guard me at the 3-point line.”
If Rodriguez can successfully integrate the 3-pointer into his game, space will open up all over the floor for the Bearcats. Instead of packing the paint, defenders will have to cover him beyond the arc. This will create ample opportunities for Rodriguez to drive to the basket and score himself, or force help defenders to come, allowing for easy passes to his teammates.
Even though he delivered such a successful rookie campaign, Rodriguez isn’t focused on individual goals. Instead he remains locked in on the bigger picture — the goals of the team.
“The team’s goal is to win the America East Championship,” Rodriguez said. “The first [goal] is probably to host a playoff game and the second one is to bring home the championship.”