LYNN — The English boys basketball team continues to send players to the next level, as the latest member of the Division 1 state champions has made his intentions for next year known. Senior guard Jack Rodriguez, who had big performances throughout the Division 1 tournament this year, has committed to play his college basketball at Keene State College.
“I’m really excited to join the Keene State family,” Rodriguez said. “It was a great fit right from the start. I got to know the coaches really well and they really believe in me, I loved the campus when I went for a visit and I think it’s going to be a great choice for me.”
“I couldn’t be happier for him,” said English coach Antonio Anderson. “He’s worked hard to get to where he’s at now, and this is just the next step for him.”
Rodriguez noted that the recruitment from Keene State came early and often. After first making contact during a fall league before this past season, the two sides kept in contact throughout Rodriguez’s senior season.
“They really came after me, and they never stopped recruiting,” said Rodriguez. “I looked at some other schools in the area as well, but Keene really made a push. Once I went to the campus, that’s what sold it for me.”
Rodriguez is also excited because he will get to remain close with one of his English teammates, as Mason Jean-Baptiste has also committed to play at Keene next year. The two plan to be roommates when school comes back in the fall.
“It’s really exciting that we get to continue playing together,” Rodriguez said of his backcourt mate. “We’re about to be roommates and everything, so we’ll be spending a lot of time together.”
“We talked about (Rodriguez and Jean-Baptiste playing together) when we were discussing making their decisions,” Anderson said. “Having a guy you know and a guy you can lean on and a guy who can push you is a big deal. They’ll be able to do that for each other.”
Rodriguez did a lot of growing up during his time at English, and it all started with the little things.
“The biggest thing I learned in my time at English was dedication to the game,” said Rodriguez. “As a freshman, I might show up a couple minutes late for practice. But if you do that with Antonio, you don’t play. He really taught me to be a man and handle my business both on and off the court, and he set the tone from the very beginning.”
All that dedication and work paid off, as Rodriguez played a key role in back-to-back state title runs for the Bulldogs.
“These have been the funnest times of my life,” Rodriguez said. “I loved every minute of playing with my brothers and going through everything we went through. I’ll never forget it.”
As for how he translates at the next level, Anderson has a lot of confidence in Rodriguez.
“He’s a guy who loves the big moment, and he can turn it on at any time,” said Anderson. “Not only that, but the guy does a ton off the court, he’s a great student, he’s a great kid and he’s a team player. No matter the situation, he’s going to do what’s best for the team.”
With gyms and courts closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, Rodriguez has had to make due with home workouts while he prepares for next season. Luckily, he has had the help of Anderson — a former Division 1 and professional player himself — in putting together a workout program.
“Obviously I can’t do much, but I’ve really been doing a lot of pushups, situps, dips and things like that,” Rodriguez said. “Antonio gave us all a workout program to use for now, but hopefully we’ll be able to get out on the courts and back in the gym soon.”
