INTRODUCING ROD ODOM

Seton Hall offers 2010 prospect, many in Big East coming to take a look


Coming from the rigorous academic setting of the Middlesex (MA) School and the under the radar AAU program of the Expressions Elite, Roderick Odom Jr. is not a name that many fans are aware of from the class of 2010. However, after a stock-boosting summer, the 6-foot-8 guard/forward is a name that college coaches are becoming more and more familiar with, and in turn, basketball fans will be hearing much more of in the near future.

It does not take long to realize that the Middlesex School is not your normal home to high-major basketball talent. With the demanding course work and Saturday class schedule, it can be difficult for a player to find the exposure needed by playing in events in the off-season or to make college trips. However, a very big July on the AAU circuit has college coaches coming to Odum to see more.

"Because of the nature of the prep school he goes to, rigorous academics and Saturday classes, Rod will not take as many visits as he would like," Roderick Odom Sr. told the NBE Basketball Report. "Instead his coach has set up workout dates for coaches to attend."

At this point, it looks like Middlesex head coach Jamie Gallagher has set up four days in September when college coaches are on the road visiting prospects to come by Middlesex.

"So far Louisville, West Virgina, Davidson, Bucknell, Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, Princeton, Yale, Xavier, GW, Umass, Boston College and Rutgers are just a few of the coaches that have committed to see the workouts this month," Mr Odom said.

One Big East school has taken their early interest to the next step as Mr. Odom informed us that Seton Hall has extended a scholarship offer, which should be just the beginning.

"Rod is just getting his recruiting under way," his father noted.

At 6-foot-8 with perimter skills, expect it also to be just the beginning of what we hear from Roderick Odum Jr. Remeber the name as a player with that mix of size, potential and acadmic prowess is guaranteed to help any school's NCAA Basketball Odds whether advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament and at the same time strengthening the programs APR.

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SETON HALL LANDS BIG TIME TRANSFER

Seton Hall University is becoming ‘Second Home’ University with the amount of transfers Bobby Gonzalez seems to be pursuing and landing for the Pirates. This season they will have Duquesne transfer Robert Mitchell suiting up and are in the process of applying for a wavier to have Missouri transfer Keon Lawrence on the floor by the second semester (has some academic work to be eligible as well). Now, it looks like the biggest name is preparing to transfer into the program: Herb Pope.

According to the Las Cruces Sun-News, Pope Commits to Seton Hall after a brief ‘I am going’, I am coming back’ drama that ended over the weekend when the sides officially parted ways. Pope originally notified New Mexico State he would be returning to the school, but a change of heart of at least one of the sides has now led to him coming east, closer to home.

Pope had a good freshman season at new Mexico State, averaging over 11 PPG and nearly 7 rebounds a contest for coach Marvin Menzies squad. Of course, there is baggage with Pope, from the punching of his AAU coach in his final AAU contest, to the display following their state championship loss to even more serious episodes of being shot following an altercation at a party to a DUI last December back in Pittsburgh, so it is definitely a buyer beware scenario.

The article also mentioned schools such as Pittsburgh and West Virginia showed interest, but it was Seton Hall that had a scholarship available for 6-foot-8 Aliquippa native (our records indicate both Pitt and WVU also have a scholarship open for 2008-2009 season as well).

Pope has a very strong desire to play immediately and once enrolled at SHU he will apply for a waiver to play immediately due to family issues. In his good-bye note in the Las Cruces News article to NM State, he is saying the right things in his pursuit of the waiver…we will see how that plays out…if granted, he is a big piece to helping SHU move up this season in the conference and increase their College Basketball Odds and competing in the post-season this year.

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