Rodney Rice transfer portal: Top 5 landing spots for Maryland guard ft. Tennessee

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament West Regional-Maryland at Florida - Source: Imagn — NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament West Regional-Maryland at Florida (image credit: IMAGN)

Rodney Rice and the Maryland Terrapins were eliminated in the Sweet 16 following an 87-71 loss to the eventual champions, the Florida Gators. Shortly after, Rice announced that he was entering the transfer portal. Several Maryland players also entered the portal after Kevin Willard left the team to take the coaching job at Villanova.

Rice was the team's third-leading scorer this past season, averaging 13.8 points per game. He is one of the top players in the transfer portal and here are five teams that could be good fits for him.

Top five landing spots for Maryland guard Rodney Rice in the transfer portal

#1 Tennessee

Tennessee is the first and only team that has been publically linked to Rodney Rice. It was confirmed on Tuesday that he is scheduled for a visit to Tennessee over the weekend. The Volunteers have already signed Rice's teammate Ja'Kobi Gillespie. Having someone he is familiar with could be a factor as he explores his options in the portal.

#2 Villanova

One of the reasons many players at Maryland entered the transfer portal is Kevin Willard leaving for Villanova. It is common for teams to lose several players after a coach departs and the Terrapins are no different.

It is unclear whether Willard's departure was the reason Rice left Maryland. However, if it was a factor, he could follow him to Villanova. Rice would likely play a big role on the Wildcats if he is brought in by his former coach.

#3 Alabama

The Alabama Crimson Tide were eliminated in the Elite Eight by the Duke Blue Devils. If Rodney Rice is interested in joining a team that has stayed competitive for half a decade, Alabama is a great option. The team has qualified for March Madness for three consecutive years and reached the Final Four last season.

#4 Virginia

If Rice wants a chance to play a bigger role on a team to improve his draft stock, Virginia could be a good option. The team has a new coach in Ryan Odom and its leading scorer, Isaac McKneely, entered the transfer portal and committed to Louisville. Rice could replace his production and join the Cavaliers.

#5 Purdue

The Purdue Boilermakers came close to defeating the national championship game runners-up, the Houston Cougars, in the Sweet 16. Although they lost 62-60, they showed that they will be competitive next season with several players returning. Adding Rodney Rice as a depth scorer could make them championship contenders.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez