Desi Rodriguez committed to Seton Hall on Monday, but his journey to Division I basketball began in earnest a year and a half ago, in the summer prior to his junior year.
That’s when the multi-talented 6-foot-6 southpaw made the decision to begin living with his aunt, Danielle Rodriguez, in Brooklyn, and attend Lincoln High School, the program that has developed NBA players Lance Stephenson, Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, and featured the city’s top player, McDonald’s All-American hopeful Isaiah Whitehead.
Rodriguez averaged 28 points and 17 rebounds a game as a sophomore for The Bronx’s Frederick Douglass Academy III of the PSAL’s Class B division — the lower third of its three leagues — yet he was an unknown in local circles and off the radar of college coaches. He wanted to test himself against better competition and get the chance to play on the wing.
“I knew already I had to leave to better myself,” Rodriguez said. “Coming to Lincoln changed my basketball career so much because I was able to find my [right] position and work on my weaknesses for the next level.”
After serving as Robin to Whitehead’s Batman in the Railsplitters’ title run last March and continuing to improve over the summer with the Juice All-Stars — the AAU program run by Lincoln coach Dwayne “Tiny” Morton — Rodriguez began drawing interest from Division I programs.
He has become a true small forward after improving his ball handling and perimeter jump shot, skills that were on display last week when Lincoln played in the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., arguably the top high school tournament in the country.
Rodriguez blossomed, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a game against elite competition, making a highlight reel dunk over a defender that quickly became a YouTube favorite and scoring 25 points in an overtime loss to top-ranked Montverde (Fla.) Academy.
“Sometimes that’s all it takes, a kid’s on one level, plays some good games against good competition, stock starts to rise,” said a Division I assistant coach familiar with Rodriguez. “He definitely has a lot of ability, has gotten a lot better over the last year, year and a half.”
When Seton Hall called offering a full scholarship, the chance for Rodriguez to continue to play with Pirates recruit Whitehead — and perhaps be coached by Morton, whom The Post has reported will join coach Kevin Willard’s staff next season — he quickly made up his mind.
Rodriguez has gone from the third level of the PSAL to the Big East. He still hasn’t wrapped his head around the transformation.
“I’m very surprised because it’s a huge jump,” he said. “I might never have had that opportunity if I was still at FDA.
“It feels great.”
Fordham offered senior forward Sammis Reyes of North Broward High School in Florida, joining the likes of BYU, Hawaii and The Citadel.
New Jersey junior guard Matt Zignorski of Pope John XXIII landed an offer from Boston University. He also holds offers from Monmouth, American, Princeton and Bucknell.