Senior Series: Derrick Rodgers

Derrick Rodgers was the only senior on the Pilots this past season. Unlike any of the other seniors being profiled in this series, he did not play for the Pilots for his whole career. The 6'1'', 210lbs guard from Rancho Cucamonga, CA spent a year at nearby Citrus College before moving into Division I.

Rodgers was a point guard while at Citrus College. As a Pilot he would play at both guard spots. This past season, on top of being the only senior, he was forced into another leadership role (point guard) when David Carr suffered a torn ACL on January 5th. His leadership earned him the honor of being voted, by his teammates, a team captain.

Derrick Rodgers evolution, shown in key statistics for point guards, from his junior to senior season. Click image for full size view.

Rodgers' first season on The Bluff was the last season for the most successful class of Pilots if not ever, then certainly since they joined the WCC in 1976. As a sophomore he didn't get a lot of playing time, though he did play in all but one game that season.

His junior year was a major rebuilding year for the Pilots. With the departure of most of the starters from the previous season, Rodgers was in the starting lineup 15 times over the course of the season. The Pilots asked him to play both back court positions. He earned significantly more minutes in his second season thanks to his defensive effort. While he may not have been playing point guard for the Pilots on offense, he was most likely guarding the other team's point guard on defense. Rodgers' bio on the University of Portland website calls him the Pilots' "best perimeter defender", an upgrade from his sophomore status as "one of Portland's top defenders".

His third season as a Pilot began on the bench. Sophomore point guard David Carr got the start for the first 17 games of the season, until he tore his ACL in the second WCC game of the season. Rodgers moved into the starting lineup in the game before Carr's injury, against San Diego at the start of WCC play.

In the games leading up to his reclaiming of a starting job, his minutes, then his points, began to increase. Against Bradley on December 23rd, he posted a career high 12 points on four of five shooting. Then, in the Pilots' next game, against Texas Pan-American, he put up 13 points on six of eight shooting. His performances late in the non-conference slate earned him a starting job for the rest of the season.

After the injury to Carr, Rodgers minutes jumped from 19.1 per game to 32.3 per game. Worth noting is that he may have been on the track to a similar average even without Carr going down. In his first start of the year, which was also Carr's last full game, Rodgers played a season high 33 minutes.

Derrick Rodgers was the only senior on a team with four freshmen and five sophomores. It's no wonder then that he was voted to be a team captain. He wasn't just a captain because he was the lone senior. He was also voted most inspirational player.

While his legacy may not live on in any career statistical lists, in part because he played just three years and in part because he was an upperclassman as the Pilots looked to develop their enormous underclass, it will live on. He led and inspired a group of Pilots that will represent the University of Portland for one, two or three more years.