dug up some stuff on angel. not all in on him yet but the qualities he speaks of remind me of dc. offers from miami, nc state, florida. notice how these kids frank gets in on early there value goes up over time. definitely would take a-rod over selby. that may spark a debate but would rather have a kid for 4 years than never stepping foot on campus but bragging to all your friends about how at least you could recruit kids like that. Right BMW, oh wait my bad.
By MANNY NAVARRO
[email protected]In his many glorious seasons at Miami High, Shakey Rodriguez coached some of the greatest players to ever dribble a basketball in Miami-Dade County: Jose Ramos. Cesar Portillo. Vernon Delancy. Doug Edwards. Allen Edwards. Steve Edwards. Gimel Martinez.
All won state championships and starred in college. But there is something about junior Angel Rodriguez, his latest star pupil at Dr. Krop High, that makes the coach with five state championships and a 579-90 career record believe he could be the most special player he has coached.
``Angel is a bulldog,'' said Rodriguez, whose Lightning (26-4) takes on Orlando Dr. Phillips (26-5) at 8:30 p.m. Friday in its first state final four appearance. ``When the game's on the line, he's not going to let you lose. Not every great player has that quality. But Angel does. Jose Ramos did. Doug Edwards was like that. To me, before he graduates, he has a chance to be as good a guard as any in Dade County -- that includes Chris Corchiani.''
Since his arrival from Puerto Rico last year, Rodriguez (an All-Dade first-team selection last season as a sophomore) has led the Lightning in scoring and assists and to the GMAC title a year ago and now its first trip to Lakeland.
In last Saturday's regional final against Columbus, the 5-11 point guard scored 39 points, taking over in the second half to turn three-point game at halftime into Krop's third double-digit victory in the regional playoffs.
That outing was typical. In most of the Lightning's most impressive victories this season, it was Rodriguez, no relation to his coach, who was usually at the center of the late-game push. In a win over Jacksonville power Arlington Country Day, Rodriguez scored 38 points -- most in the second half. In a district rivalry win over Carol City at home, he scored 11 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to turn a close game into a blowout.
And when he has needed to, Rodriguez -- who is averaging 20.9 points this season -- has turned into the distributor his coach has wanted him to be.
``The thing that is beautiful about Angel is that he's uninterested in the individual side of the game,'' Rodriguez said. ``He's so conscious of the team concept, but he'll go out and get 39 against Columbus because he has to. Then, he'll go have seven points and 10 assists in the next game. He's a special kid with special qualities. It's all about his basketball team. That's the greatest thing a player can have. All his teammates love playing with him.''
Rodriguez, 17, came to Krop as a wing guard, following the footsteps of his cousin, N.C. State junior Javi Gonzalez, who scored a team-high 19 points in a win over the University of Miami last weekend. Rodriguez said he shares a bedroom with two younger brothers in a small apartment with his mother, Jacqueline. He said his family left Puerto Rico to give him a better opportunity to earn a college scholarship.
``There are some days when as an athlete you don't want to play, you want to relax at home,'' Angel Rodriguez said. ``What forces me to get up is them. They came here to help me and my future.''
According to his AAU coach, Art Pilin Alvarez of the Miami Tropics, Rodriguez already has an offer from Kansas State.
``The one thing I hate more than anything else is losing,'' Angel Rodriguez said. ``When it's a game that it's win or go home, I give everything I have in my body to make sure we don't go home. I just believe in my heart I'm going to be successful.''
Read more:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/04/1511826/hes-not-going-to-let-you-lose.html#ixzz0vmDQMC8W
