Nov. 11, 2009
Head Coach Kevin Stallings announced Wednesday that guard Kyle Fuller, center Josh Henderson, and forward Rod Odom have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Vanderbilt and play basketball for the Commodores beginning in the fall of 2010.
“We’re very excited about the three guys we signed today,” said Stallings. “Our coaching staff was relentless in their efforts in identifying guys that can really help us. We think these three guys will not only have an impact early in their career, but have great careers here and have an impact on our program moving forward.”
Fuller, a 6’1 point guard from Moreno Valley, Calif., averaged nearly 20 points and nine assists per game in 2009 as a junior to lead his Rancho Verde High School team to a 24-6 record and trip to the sectional quarterfinals. This summer, he averaged almost 25 points and 10 assists per contest for his Inland Empire 17 and Under AAU Squad. Fuller will be the Commodores’ fourth player from California on the roster, joining Festus Ezeli, Charles Hinkle, and Darshawn McClellan.
Fuller chose the Commodores over California, UCLA, and Marquette.
“Kyle is a guy we identified early on as a very fast, quick, speedy, and heady point guard and we were lucky to get him to commit early,” said Stallings. “He’s going to give our team a dimension that we really don’t have at this point, and that’s a guy with explosive quickness that can keep pressure on the ball and keep our running game going.”
Henderson, a 6’11 center, comes to Vanderbilt from Roanoke, Va., where he plays at Cave Spring High School. He averaged 17.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game as a junior with the Knights. Henderson, who has maintained a 3.5 GPA in high school, chose the Commodores over Davidson, Virginia, and Wake Forest.
“Josh is a big, long kid who’s very skilled,” said Stallings. “We’re very excited about having him here at Vanderbilt. He’s got a great shooting touch at 6’11, great timing on blocking shots, he runs the floor very well, and is an exceptional passer. With added weight and strength, and the development of his body, he’ll mature into a very good player.”
6’8 forward Rod Odom, from Bellport, N.Y., closes out the early signing class for the Commodores. Odom, ranked the 77th best prospect in the nation by ESPN.com, is a long, athletic forward who averaged 16.5 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks at Middlesex School in Concord, Mass., as a junior. Odom chose Vanderbilt over Arizona, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Louisville, and West Virginia.
“Rod is a very skilled forward who we feel will impact our program greatly,” said Stallings. “He’s got unique size and skill at 6’9. He handles the ball like a guard, he shoots the ball very well, and he’s a good passer. He’ll be another one of those forwards we’ve had in the past in the Derrick Byars, Dan Langhi, or Matt Freije-type mold.”
