Jared Rhoden, a two-way player and a good athlete, had a stellar run during his last season with Seton Hall. After teammate Sandro Mamukelashvili was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, Rhoden had to take on a larger role for the Pirates during his senior season. He averaged 15.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, earning him a spot on the All-Big East first-team as well as the first-team All-Met squad. The 6-foot-5 wing logged more than 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in his Seton Hall career. However, shouldering a bigger load as a senior, his offensive efficiency dropped; for example, he shot just 39 percent from the field and had an assist-turnover ratio of 0.67. Through that adversity, he was still able to be in the top 10 of the conference for free-throw percentage (80.3), steals percentage (2.6), usage percentage (26.4) and defensive rating (96.8).
Rhoden was on many draft boards before the 2022 NBA draft, and the Seton Hall product was quite busy after college. He played in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, and after an impressive performance, he was invited to the G League Elite Camp (GLEC). Following the GLEC, he received an invitation to attend the NBA combine. During the NBA and GLEC combines, Rhoden played more than 90 minutes and shot 91.7 percent from the free-throw line. However, he struggled to get his shot right, shooting 35.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.
Jared Rhoden Interview on the Hoops Prospects Podcast
Ultimately, Rhoden was not drafted, but he played for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League. He saw action in eight games for the Kings, starting in seven, averaging 11.8 points per contest. A “jack of all trades master of none,” Rhoden’s main weaknesses from college, 3-point shooting, was still prevalent during Summer League, as were his strengths: rebounding, foul shooting, and defensive playmaking. His overall shooting splits (.451/.308/.867) were solid, and his averages of 5.1 boards, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per 23 minutes was impressive. Since Summer League, Rhoden has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.
| Position: | Wing | Team/Class: | Seton Hall |
| Age: | 22.1 | From: | Baldwin, NY |
| Height: | 6’5’ | Weight: | 210 lbs. |
| Wingspan: | 6’11” | Vertical: | 30.5” standing, 35” max |
| Shot Hand: | Right | Stats: | Click here |
In Summer League action, Rhoden’s role on offense changed from his senior year at Seton Hall, as he reverted to the role that he had in his sophomore and junior seasons. The Kings used him more as a three-and-D player, which was not only expected, but also resulted in similar statistics to his college numbers. In college, his offensive efficiency and field-goal percentage shifted when his role did. During his sophomore and junior years, when he was the second or third offensive option, Rhoden’s field-goal percentages were very close, at 44.1 percent (So.) and 42.9 percent (Jr.). During his senior year, without players such as Mamukelashvili and Myles Powell, the focus from defenses fell onto Rhoden, and his field-goal percentage dropped to 39 percent as a result. With his role in the Summer League being the same as the middle of his college career, his field-goal percentage was 45.1 percent, showing that he’s likely best suited to be a complementary offensive player.
Rhoden relied heavily on mid-range shots throughout his college career, making 42.3 percent of his jumpers (101 of 239) inside the three-point line over the past three seasons. He is not particularly explosive with the ball in his hands, but he was somewhat forced to take mid-range jumpers, many of which were off the bounce, due to his struggles from deep and near the basket. He attacks the rim aggressively, but he often drives into a wall, and lacking great vertical pop, adds to his struggles. On all half-court shots within seven feet this past season, Rhoden made just 37.7 percent, which was lower than every teammate with at least 37 attempts. The winger struggled even when it came to pick-and-rolls as the ball handler, ranking at the 41st percentile for PPP as a senior, and it is unlikely that he will be used as a primary or secondary ball handler at the pro level due to his lack of playmaking skills.
The key to Rhoden being a successful pro is his jump shot, especially from deep. As noted above, he’s capable off the dribble and from midrange. At the same time, he made just 31 percent of his three-point shots for his college career. There are two reasons to be optimistic, however. His shooting form looks fairly solid, and he is consistent from the charity stripe. His free-throw percentage was better than 80 percent in both his junior and senior seasons, and that trend continued in Summer League (87%).
As a whole, Rhoden is a good one-on-one defender as his combination of effort, athleticism and length shine. He can be very disruptive, creating a lot of turnovers; as a senior, he averaged nearly two combined steals and blocks per game. According to Synergy, he also ranked above average as an isolation and pick-and-roll defender during his college career. Unfortunately, he lacks awareness and discipline as a team defender. Seemingly, he has a difficult time keeping an eye on both man and ball. Additionally, the winger will often leave the ground to block shots or simply close out with too much speed, allowing the ball handler to blow right past him. As a result, he ranked at the 14th percentile for PPP allowed as a spot-up defender this past season. These kinds of weaknesses are fixable with effort and experience, and he is the type of player who will put in the time and work to fix them. As a rebounder, Rhoden is willing to box out and to crash the boards after every play. He was a critical piece for Seton Hall’s defense, averaging 4.2 defensive boards for his college career.
At 6 foot 5 and 210 pounds, Rhoden is as close to average as one can be for a small forward/shooting guard prospect. With enough improvement in his passing, playmaking and three-point shooting, he could become a useful role player in the NBA. He will have an opportunity to make Portland’s roster in the fall, but the odds are that his first pro season will be spent in the G League or overseas. With his athleticism and size, he could thrive in the European Leagues, and the European style of play would likely help him improve in terms of court vision and passing.
Strengths
- Good rebounding wing — averaged 6.7 RPG over his last two college seasons, and averaged 5.1 RPG with Kings in the Summer League.
- Solid spot-up shooter — ranked at 74th percentile for spot-up PPP during his last season at Seton Hall. Even though he struggles as a three-point shooter, his career free-throw percentage of 87 bodes well for future improvement.
- Constantly moving on offense and capable of shooting on the move — works to get open for either mid-range shots off the bounce or shots coming off screens. He ranked well above average for PPP when shooting off the dribble in both his sophomore and junior seasons. As a senior, he was well above average on off-screen plays and hand-offs.
- Defensive upside— at 6’5’ with a plus-six wingspan, he uses his length to get much-needed rebounds, steals, and blocks for his team. Ranked ninth in the Big East this year with a defensive rating of 96.8. Already displays very good ability to defend one-on-one, making good use of his overall athleticism and lateral speed. According to the Hoops Prospects database, he ranked at the 92.9 percentile at PIT for the lane agility drill and at the 93.2 percentile for the shuttle run.
- Solid all-around player with 3-and-D potential — among the players in the Hoops Prospects database, he ranked at the 88th percentile (at PIT) for overall athleticism. He also ranked in the top 20 in the Big-East for both offensive and defensive rating as a senior.
Weaknesses
- Weak team defender — focuses on the ball so much that he is always a step behind when his man moves off-ball. Also, undisciplined on close-outs.
- Poor passer – for his college career, he had an A/T ratio of just 0.92 (more turnovers than assists). Never averaged better than 1.9 assists per game in any season at Seton Hall.
- Poor three-point shooter — has a good release but rarely shoots decisively, especially from outside the three-point line, and also features a slight dip after the catch. Made only 35 percent from deep at Seton Hall as a senior and less than 31 percent with the Kings in Summer League.
- Not a great finisher at the rim — finished his last season at Seton Hall at only the 12th percentile (PPP) on layups (shots around the basket).
Sources, Credits, and Acknowledgements
Statistics used in our scouting reports come from RealGM.com (international stats), Sports-Reference.com (NCAA stats), and Synergy Sports Technology (special analytics), Other outside sources are noted with links to the source. Click here to see the statistical abbreviation key.
