Purdue Basketball Recruiting: Purdue Secures Ty Rodgers Visit

Ty Rodgers, a 6’7, 195 4* wing out of Grand Blanc Community High School in Grand Blanc, Michigan announced 3 official June visits this morning according to Jake Weingarten and the Stockrisers website.

Rodgers is considered one of the top wing prospects in the 2020 class. The 247 composite rankings have him pegged as the 12th best small forward, and the 50th overall player in the 2022 class.

The competition for Rodgers will be tough, with home state Michigan looming as a roadblock for the Boilermakers. It appears Purdue has some traction, after receiving a visit despite not offering until May 3rd, well after several “blue blood” offers. Other teams in the hunt include Michigan State, Florida State, Louisville, and Ohio State.

What He Brings to the Table

He’s an athletic specimen with solid ball handling skills and the ability to finish at the rim through contact. What impressed me the most in the film I’ve watched is his willingness as a passer. He’s the star on his high school team, but he keeps everyone involved instead of trying to win the game on his own. His ability to drive and kick opens up the game for the shooters on his high school squad.

On top of his ball handling and passing, he’s not afraid to go into the post and bang for a basket when he finds the right matchup. He’s a strong rebounder and looks to push the pace off defensive boards. I didn’t see him shoot much, but that doesn’t appear to be his role in high school.

I’ve seen his height listed anywhere from 6’4” to 6’7” and have no idea what is accurate, but on tape, he stands out. Physically, he looks like a college player going up against high school kids. His potential as a wing defender, to me, is more intriguing than his ample offensive skills, especially if he’s closer to 6’7” than 6’4”. He looks like a grown man as a junior in high school and is athletic enough to guard 1-3 if he’s closer to 6’4”. You can throw in the 4 spot as well if he’s closer to 6’7”.

Highlights

Note: Rodgers is #23, but that’s pretty obvious once you watch the clips. A few of his better high school games are blocked as embeds, but a quick youtube search is all that’s required to pull them up.

Overall

After taking 2 shooters in the 2022 class, Rodgers is exactly the type of athletic wing Purdue needs to help balance their attack and lock down on defense.

He’s going to be a tough pull out of Michigan, but his playing style and intensity dovetails nicely with Purdue’s system. Coach Painter gets the last crack at him in this set of visits and it sure would be nice to win a recruiting battle against Michigan.