By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Over the next several weeks, we'll be taking a dive into getting to know the members of the 2023-24 Tennessee Tech men's basketball team.
Head coach John Pelphrey's roster will feature 17 student-athletes for the second straight year, with 10 newcomers and seven faces already familiar to Golden Eagle fans. Back for the Tech squad in 2023-24 are Diante Wood, Grant Slatten, Grant Strong, Erik Oliver, Jayvis Harvey, Bogdan Zimonjic, and Jerome Beya.
New to the crew for 2023-24 campaign are sophomore guard Brandon Brown (Bristol, Tenn. / Lees-McRae), sophomore guard Nick Choate (Livingston, Tenn. / Livingston Academy), sophomore center David Craig (Johannesburg, South Africa / Mercer), sophomore guard Josiah Davis (Kitchener, Ontario / West Virginia), junior guard David Early (Logan, W.Va. / Marshall), sophomore forward Daniel Egbuniwe (Memphis, Tenn. / Little Rock), junior forward Rodney Johnson Jr. (Bryan, Texas / Weatherford College), freshman guard Kyle Layton (Birmingham, Ala. / Mountain Brook HS), freshman forward Rylee Samons (Pikeville, Ky. / Pikeville HS), and junior guard DeSean Woods (Lexington, Ky. / Southern U.).
Today we'll take a close look at newcomer Rodney Johnson Jr., a junior transfer from Weatherford College.
#5 Rodney Johnson Jr. | Forward | 6-5 | 220 | Jr. | Bryan, Texas/Weatherford College
Joining the Golden Eagles following a year at Weatherford College in Weatherford, Texas, Johnson brings a tenacious work ethic that allowed him to both score and rebound with ferocity as a sophomore. He snagged NTJCAC All-Region First Team and All-Conference First Team honors after averaging 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Coyotes.
Playing in 30 games, he shot 55.0 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from distance, and 80.7 percent from the charity stripe, amassing 23 double-digit scoring performances and 37 blocks. He also registered nine double-doubles during the season and flirted with a triple double at Western Texas College, producing 13 points, nine boards, and seven dimes.
He dropped career-high scoring performances in back-to-back contests to kick off February of last season, finishing 13-for-16 from the field on his way to 27 points against Temple College on Feb. 4. He followed it up with another career night, exploding for 30 points on 12-for-17 efficiency.
Johnson played his freshman season at Panola College in Carthage, Texas, averaging 8.7 points and 5.7 rebounds over 26 games of action. He put forth a pair of double-doubles in his lone season as a Pony, maxing out with a season-high of 25 points and 10 boards against Trinity Valley CC. forward scored in double digits 11 times during the season.
The incoming junior competed at Bryan High School in Bryan, Texas prior to his arrival at Panola.
Fans are encouraged to check back in the coming weeks as we continue our dive into the 2023-24 roster and take a look at the newest members of the Golden Eagles.
Photo courtesy of TTU Men's Basketball
