Draft Profile: Rodney Hood

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Rodney Hood was a top recruit coming out of high school but played his freshman season at Mississippi State – not exactly the place to garner national attention. He became a well-known collegiate player after transferring to Duke and putting together a stellar sophomore campaign this past season. Under the leadership of Coach K and alongside Jabari Parker, Hood put up 16.1 points per game and was chosen as a second team All-ACC performer.

Hood is going to be a shooting guard in the NBA, and a big one. At 6-foot-8.25 in shoes, he has the height of a small forward, but he possesses the skill set of a shooting guard. He’s an electric shooter and has very deep range. He shot the ball well overall (46.4 percent) and from 3-point range (42.0 percent) this season. He’s a lefty, which can be an advantage against defenders who aren’t used to defending such. Hood has great feet and a very quick release on catch-and-shoot plays. I think this is likely where he’ll excel the most during his early days in the league; he should be a knock-down shooter off the ball. He does, though, possess the ability to play with the ball in his hands. He’s a very good pick-and-roll ball handler thanks to his patience and decision-making. He’s a solid and willing passer. Hood isn’t an elite athlete so he’s not a go-to guy in terms of creating his own shot. But he can create some space off the dribble, with jab steps and even with his back to the basket. He has a very good touch around the rim, though he rarely uses his right hand. Hood has some work to do defensively. Even Coach K admitted to Emily Austen in a video interview that Hood can fall asleep when he’s off the ball. Film confirms that notion. He does not always give max effort at the defensive end, even when he’s defending the ball. I think the biggest thing he’ll need to work on is living by the word “finish” on defense. He needs to learn to contest every shot that’s taken in front of him. I also believe he’ll take the next step in his game at both ends of the court when he increases his physicality.

There’s a very good reason why Hood initially attended Mississippi State: it’s in his home state and he has family connections to the school. He was born on Oct. 20, 1992 in Meridian, Miss. to Ricky and Vicky Hood. Both of his parents played basketball at Mississippi State from 1978-1980. Prior to his lone season at Mississippi Sate, Hood attended Meridian High School. He put up back-to-back seasons of at least 22.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 4.4 APG. He averaged 24.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 6.4 APG as a senior. Meridian captured the Class 6A championship that season and finished with a 29-2 record. Hood ranked 31st on the ESPN 100 following his senior season. He was recruited by Mississippi State, Alabama, Florida State, Louisville and Marquette. He ultimately signed to play at Mississippi State on Nov. 15, 2010. Hood started 29 of his 32 games as a freshman and finished with averages of 10.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG. He elected to transfer to Duke following the ouster of Mississippi State’s head coach, which resulted in him redshirting the next season. He practiced with Duke throughout the season and oftentimes acted as the opposing team’s top scorer while playing for the scout team. He finally returned to live action for the 2013-14 season and wound up starting 33 of 35 games for the Blue Devils. Hood averaged 16.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG and 2.1 APG as a sophomore while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 42.0 percent from long range. He officially declared for the NBA Draft on April 18.