Sophomore Mike Rodriguez (Boston, MA/Redemption Christian Academy) of the Marshalltown Community College men's basketball team has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for the Southern Illinois University Salukis on Wednesday afternoon
Rodriguez, a 5-10 point guard, appeared in 58 career games for the Tigers, making 48 total starts. A two-time All-Region XI selection, Rodriguez eclipsed the 1,000 point scoring total for his career in 2015 and finished his stint at MCC with 1,154 points, becoming just the second player in the last 14 seasons to record over 1,000 points.
"My decision to attend Southern Illinois really came down to the coaching staff," said Rodriguez. "A lot of credit goes out to both head coach Barry Hinson and assistant coach Anthony Beane. They were very loyal throughout the whole recruiting process. When I made my official visit to Carbondale, they treated me like I belonged in a Saluki uniform."
The Salukis, members of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) with the likes of University of Northern Iowa and Drake University, finished the 2014-15 season with an 11-21 record overall and 4-14 in league play while winning their first round game of the MVC Tournament.
Rodriguez was named to the All-Region XI First-Team as a sophomore after earning second-team honors as a freshman. During his final season at MCC, Rodriguez finished ninth in the nation in scoring with 22.5 points per game while his 710 total points ranked sixth. A large part of Rodriguez's scoring came from the free throw line where the guard ranked third nationally with 230 free throws made.
One of the most prolific scorers in MCC history, Rodriguez produced 33 games of at least 20 points, including four games of at least 30. Rodriguez also handed out 309 career assists, grabbed 213 rebounds and collected 133 steals.
"Marshalltown allowed me to become the player that I always knew I could be," Rodriguez expressed. "Coach Brynjarsson pushed me to become a better player from the day I arrived on campus. He made me realize my potential which gave me the opportunity to reach my dream of playing Division I basketball."
"Overall, my time spent at MCC was a life-changing experience. Coming from the east coast, I wasn't sure what to expect, but the campus allowed me to become a better person and a better student-athlete."
"I've had the opportunity to play with some great teammates and meet great people during my time at MCC. Merdic Green has been one of the best players I've had the chance to play with and he constantly pushed me to strive for better things. I've enjoyed my time at Marshalltown and am thankful for everything the school has done for me."
Rodriguez is not the first player to sign with a school in the MVC. Former Tigers Chris Caird finished up his playing career with the Drake University Bulldogs this season while Tyler Brown was a two-year member of the Illinois State University Redbirds from 2011-2013.
Rodriguez intends to study psychology at Southern Illinois.
