Mike Young announces Virginia Tech guard Rodney Rice will leave the program

Virginia Tech guard Rodney Rice is leaving the program, coach Mike Young announced on Tuesday. Rice was set to enter his second year with the Hokies after injuries limited him to only eight games in the 2022-23 season.

“Rodney Rice recently shared with me his desire to step away from our program,” Young said according to David Cunningham of Tech Sideline. “While his departure is unfortunate, we wish Rodney and his family all the best in the future.”

Rice averaged 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds across 20.1 minutes per contest while playing a reserve role off the bench. He shot 33.3% from 3-point range while attempting a little less than five triples per contest.

Rice was a four-star prospect coming out of DeMartha Catholic in High School in Clinton, Maryland. He ranked as the No. 61 overall prospect and No. 7 shooting guard in the 2022 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Rice did not see his first game action last season until January after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason. He played 30 minutes in his debut against Syracuse on Jan. 11 and came away with a season-high three steals. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken finger just three days later that sidelined him for another month.

The guard returned for the final seven games of the season. He showed flashes of his potential in an ACC Tournament game against NC State to pour in 17 points in just 19 minutes off the bench.

Rice was reportedly not full participant in the Hokies open practice a little less than two weeks ago as the team was being cautious given his injuries last year. Per NCAA transfer rules, he will have to sit out this upcoming season before being eligible to play next year.

Rodney Rice chose Virginia Tech over multiple D-I offers including Alabama, Maryland, Miami and others. It’s worth noting that Hokies associate head coach Mike Jones, who also coached Rice in high school, recently joined the Terrapins staff in an assistant role. Given that and the fact that Rice is a Maryland native, that’s one school to keep an eye on as a potential landing spot.

Virginia Tech will now move forward with 12 scholarship players to begin the 2023-24 season. The Hokies are set to tip off the season in a little less than two weeks on Nov. 6 against Coppin State.