Report: Charleston Transfer Guard Kobe Rodgers Commits to Louisville

The former point guard for the Cougars shot 50.0 from the field and led the team in steals.

Mar 22, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; Charleston Cougars guard Kobe Rodgers (11 / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Another player is following new head coach Pat Kelsey to the Louisville men's basketball program.

Kobe Rodgers, a point guard who spent this past season at Charleston with Kelsey, has committed to the Cardinals according to The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman. He will redshirt the upcoming 2024-25 season, presumably to rehab a left leg injury suffered in the Cougars' NCAA Tournament opener against Alabama.

Rodgers is now the third player to follow Kelsey from Charleston to Louisville. Guard Reyne Smith and center James Scott were Kelsey's first two transfer commitments after he took the job back in late March.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound point guard was Charleston's go-to backcourt bench option this past season, but also saw a handful of starts as well. Playing 31 games with 18 starts, he averaged 9.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and and a team-best 1.2 steals per game. He also shot an even 50.0 percent from the field, and was 18-of-40 (45.0 percent) on three-point attempts.

Rodgers was named to the All-CAA Tournament Team after averaging 10.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in three games, helping Charleston win the CAA Championship. He also had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists against Alabama before having to be helped off the court with 4:07 left.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career in the Division II ranks with Nova Southeastern, helping the Sharks win the D2 title in 2023 as a sophomore. That season, he averaged 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.4 steals across 30 games.

Not long after the end of Louisville's disastrous 2023-24 campaign, one which resulted in the firing of second-year head coach Kenny Payne, the Cardinals' roster began to flip. In fact, all 12 of Louisville's scholarship players have entered the portal, with only walk-on guard Aidan McCool in line to return.

Fortunately, new head coach Pat Kelsey is already starting to work the portal. So far, Kelsey has landed nine transfers since officially being named the new head coach on Mar. 28.

On top of the three Charleston players, James Madison's Terrence Edwards Jr., Colorado's J'Vonne Hadley, Washington's Koren Johnson, Long Beach State's Aboubacar Traore and Wisconsin's Chucky Hepburn are also joining the fold. BYU center Aly Khalifa also committed, but will redshirt the 2024-25 season.

(Photo of Kobe Rodgers: James Snook - USA TODAY Sports)

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