12 Rodrick Rhodes

Rodrick Rhodes was born on September 24, 1973, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Gladys Rhodes. After his mother died during his childhood, his older sister Gail and brother Reggie helped raise him. At St. Anthony High School, Rhodes played for Bob Hurley and became a McDonald’s All-American and three-time Parade All-American. He chose Kentucky as Rick Pitino rebuilt the program.

Rhodes brought speed and versatility to Lexington in 1992–93. He started 19 games as a freshman, earned SEC All-Freshman recognition and helped Kentucky reach its first Final Four under Pitino.

As a sophomore, Rhodes took on a larger role and averaged 14.6 points, second most on the team. He earned third-team All-SEC honors as Kentucky won another SEC Tournament championship.

Rhodes started 32 games as a junior in 1994–95 and earned second-team All-SEC honors. Kentucky won the SEC Tournament again and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, where its season ended against North Carolina.

One of the defining games of Rhodes’s Kentucky years was the Mardi Gras Miracle on February 15, 1994. Down 31 points in the second half at LSU, the Wildcats rallied to win 99–95. Rhodes was also part of Kentucky’s 1995 SEC Tournament championship team, which beat Arkansas 95–93 in overtime.

Rhodes transferred to Southern California for his senior season in 1996–97. The Houston Rockets selected him 24th overall in the 1997 NBA draft. After playing for Houston, Vancouver and Dallas, he continued his career overseas and later moved into coaching, including a stint alongside former Kentucky teammate Travis Ford at UMass.