Many college basketball players decide to transfer because they are not having much success at their original school and want to try their luck elsewhere, but that was certainly not the case for Angel Rodriguez. As a freshman at Kansas State he played in 32 games and led his team in both assists and steals before starting a pair of NCAA tourney games. As a sophomore he started all 33 games and was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team. After transferring to Miami in 2013 and sitting out for a year, he became 1 of the best PGs in the ACC while helping the Hurricanes get back to the postseason after missing out in 2014. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Angel about growing up in Puerto Rico and recovering from a wrist injury last winter.
You grew up in Puerto Rico: how did you 1st get into basketball? I was a baseball player as a kid but it did not really work out for me. Basketball is big in Puerto Rico so I just started playing with my friends.
You began your career at Kansas State, where you started a pair of NCAA tourney games as a freshman: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I knew my role and was not trying to be the star: I just wanted to help us win games by being a “dog” on defense. On offense I just tried to run the team.
You made the Big 12 All-Defensive team as a sophomore and were #3 in the ACC in SPG last year: what is your secret for being a good defender? Defense is not a skill: it is more of a mental thing. You must have the desire to stop your opponent and take pride in it rather than just going with the flow. My college coaches have always taught me to take pride in playing defense. I was used to just competing on offense like most young guys do, but I have been able to build a reputation for myself on the defensive end in college.
In the 2013 NCAA tourney you had 4 AST but missed a shot at the buzzer in a 2-PT loss to La Salle: how much of a home-court advantage did you have while playing in Kansas City? It was a great home-court advantage for us, but the problem was that we disrespected our opponent and were looking forward to playing Wisconsin in the following round. It does not matter where you play in the tourney: everyone will bring their “A” game, which is why underdogs can pull off the upset.
After the tourney you decided to transfer: why did you pick Miami? Miami is my home: I have my high school friends and girlfriend here, and my family in Puerto Rico is only 2 hours away. It is nice to be in the ACC and the coaches here have been perfect for me.
You play for Coach Jim Larranaga: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He gives a lot of freedom to his guards and is also a good person. I would be lying if I said that the most important thing I learned from him was on the court. He teaches us little things about how to succeed in life like looking people in the eye and shaking their hand: I truly appreciate him taking the time to teach us about life.
Last January you scored a career-high 25 PTS including 3 FTs in the final second of regulation in a 9-PT 2-OT loss to undefeated Virginia: how were you able to come all the way back from a 19-PT 1st half deficit, and did you think that you were going to make all those FTs? I would call it perseverance. We were not executing certain stuff in the 1st half so we had to make some changes at halftime. We had a new team of young guys and even veterans like myself were not doing much, but we gathered ourselves and finally made a few stops. I never doubt myself: I will take the blame if I miss a shot and take the credit if I make a shot. I could not go out by being scared of losing: that is just not who I am.
You missed the 2015 NIT title game (a 2-PT OT loss to Stanford) with a wrist injury: do you think your team would have won if you were healthy, and how is your wrist feeling at the moment? Of course I think I could help the team if I was healthy, but if I had played then I would have hurt the team because I was not ready to play and could not pass or shoot with my right hand. It was a good experience for our team because it taught us how to try to find other ways to win. My wrist is 100% right now and I feel as good as I have ever felt.
Your non-conference schedule includes games against Mississippi State/Nebraska/Florida: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? Last year I would have picked Florida but this year I am truly taking it day-by-day because it is my final year of college basketball. It is going to be very emotional but a very fun ride: I used to dream about playing in college and I want to make the best of it.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I have very high expectations for the team this year. I think we underachieved last year but we are more mature this year and know what it takes to compete at this level, so we will never settle for less than we can achieve. We have a couple of guys who will play bigger roles and I think we have become more of a team with a lot of experienced guys who can guide the younger guys.