Rod Sellers facts for kids

Walter Roderick Sellers (born August 7, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. He is better known as Rod Sellers. He played as a center.

Rod grew up in Florence, South Carolina. He played high school basketball at Wilson High School. Later, he played college basketball at UConn. He was a top player in his final year at UConn in 1992.

After college, Rod was not chosen in the 1992 NBA draft. Instead of playing in the USA, he decided to play in Europe. He started his career in Greece with AEK Athens. Rod played his entire 14-year career in Europe. He played in Greece, France, Italy, Spain, and Turkey. He even played in the Euroleague three times. In 1999, he was the top scorer in the FIBA Saporta Cup Finals. He won many awards, including a French league title, two French cups, and an Italian Supercup.

High School Basketball Journey

Rod Sellers was born in Florence, South Carolina. His father passed away when Rod was 12 years old. He lived with his older brother, Patrick.

Rod first played baseball at Wilson High School. But after an eye injury, he focused on basketball. He joined the varsity team in his second year. By his junior year, he was one of the team's best players. He was even named the Conference Tournament MVP.

In his final year, Rod was 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall. He weighed about 199 pounds (90 kg). In 27 games, he scored 583 points, averaging 21.6 points per game. He also grabbed 416 rebounds, about 15.4 per game. He was very good at shooting, making 62.7% of his shots. Rod was chosen for the second-team all-state. He was also named the 5A Conference Player of the Year.

College Basketball at UConn

Rod Sellers did not get offers from big colleges until his junior year of high school. His brother was playing at Central Connecticut State. Their coach told Howie Dickenman, a coach at UConn, about Rod. Rod signed with UConn in May 1988.

First Year at UConn

Rod wore jersey number 22 in his first year. He played his first game on November 26, 1988, against Hartford. He scored 13 points and got 12 rebounds in that game. This was his only "double-double" (scoring double digits in two stats) that season. He played about 16.7 minutes per game. He averaged 3.8 points and 4.2 rebounds. He was second in rebounds on his team.

Becoming a Starter

In his second year, coach Jim Calhoun made Rod a full-time starter. Rod started 35 of 37 games. On December 9, 1989, he made 11 out of 12 shots against Maine. This was a 91.7% shooting record, which was the best in UConn history at the time. It is still the third-best record today.

Rod led his team in blocks, with 0.8 per game. He also led in field goal percentage, making 53.8% of his shots. He was the fifth-highest scorer, with 8.2 points per game. He was also the third-best rebounder, with 5.3 rebounds.

Junior Year Highlights

In his third year, Rod had 10 double-doubles. His first was 21 points and 10 rebounds against Hartford. On January 10, 1991, he got a career-high 14 rebounds. He also scored 13 points against Central Connecticut.

On February 27, 1991, Rod scored 21 points and had 12 rebounds against Seton Hall. In the 1991 NCAA tournament, he faced Shaquille O'Neal. Rod scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds in that game. Coach Calhoun gave Rod more playing time, about 30.8 minutes per game. Rod led the team in shooting percentage again, with 55.4%. He also increased his scoring to 11.7 points per game. He was the team's top rebounder, with 8 rebounds per game.

Senior Year Success

In his final year, Rod started all 29 games. He scored 17 points and had 12 rebounds against Hartford on November 22, 1991. On February 2, 1992, he scored his 1,000th point in a game against Syracuse.

On February 8, 1992, Rod grabbed 19 rebounds against Seton Hall. This is tied for the most rebounds in a single game in UConn history. He also scored 17 points in that game. On February 22, 1992, he had 19 points and 16 rebounds against Providence. On March 4, he had 18 points and 14 rebounds against Syracuse.

His last college double-double was 12 points and 13 rebounds. This was against Ohio State in the 1992 NCAA tournament. Rod was the best rebounder on his team, with 8.7 per game. He led the team in shooting percentage for the third year in a row, with 59.2%. He was also the third-best scorer, with 12.3 points per game. That year, he was named to the All-Big East Third Team.

Rod scored a total of 1,143 points in his college career. He started 112 games, which is the 7th most for a UConn player. He also ranks 7th for the highest shooting percentage in a career, with 54.8%.

College Statistics

Professional Career in Europe

After college, Rod Sellers was eligible for the 1992 NBA draft. But no NBA team picked him. He had some contact with a US team called the New Haven Skyhawks. He also trained with the Washington Bullets in 1992.

In August 1992, he was the first player picked in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) draft. The Grand Rapids Hoops chose him. However, Rod decided to play overseas instead of joining a CBA team. He signed with AEK B.C. in Athens, Greece. This is where his professional career began.

Playing in Greece and Spain

Rod joined Apollon Patras B.C. the next season. He became the top rebounder in the Greek league, averaging 14.3 rebounds per game. After that, Rod moved to Spain. He signed with Cáceres CB in the Liga ACB.

In the 1994–95 ACB season, Rod averaged 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds. He shot 58.2% from the field. His team also reached the semifinals of the 1994–95 FIBA Korać Cup. The next season, he played even better. He averaged 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds. He won the ACB Player of the Month Award in September 1995. He was also chosen for the ACB All-Star game in 1996.

In the 1996–97 ACB season, Rod averaged 16.8 points and 9.4 rebounds. He was named Player of the Week once. In the 1997 Copa del Rey de Baloncesto, Cáceres made it to the finals. They lost to Joventut Badalona, even though Rod scored 23 points in the final game.

Moving to Turkey and Back to Spain

In 1997, Rod left Spain and went to Turkey. He signed with Efes Pilsen. This was his first time playing in the EuroLeague. In the Turkish league, he averaged 11.3 points and 7.9 rebounds.

After Turkey, Rod went back to Spain. He signed with Valencia Basket. In the 1998–99 ACB season, Rod played 31 games. He averaged 13.6 points and 7.5 rebounds. In 1999, he joined Panionios B.C. and played another season in Greece.

Success in Italy and France

In 2000, Rod signed with Pallacanestro Virtus Roma in Italy. He played one season there. He improved his averages to 15.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. He also had a career-high 2 steals per game.

In 2001, Rod moved to France. He joined Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez. He played 27 games in the LNB Pro A league. He averaged 14.1 points and 6.9 rebounds, shooting 55.8%. He also played in 14 games during the 2001–02 Euroleague. There, he averaged 14.9 points and 6.5 rebounds. His team won the French Basketball Cup that year. Rod was also chosen for the All-Star game.

The 2002–03 season was Rod's most successful. He won the LNB Pro A title, the Semaine des As, and his second French Cup. He played in the 2002–03 Euroleague again. He scored 16.6 points per game and had 5.5 rebounds. In 29 Pro A games, Rod averaged 14.3 points.

Final Years in Spain

After winning three trophies, Rod left France in 2003. He returned to Italy and signed with Olimpia Milano. He played in the 2003–04 Lega Basket Serie A and the 2003–04 ULEB Cup. This was his last time playing in an international competition. He averaged 11 points per game in both leagues.

In 2004, he joined Tenerife CB in Spain. He played in the 2004–05 ACB season. In 2005, he played for Club Melilla Baloncesto in Spain's second league. Rod Sellers retired from basketball in 2006 after playing one season with Murcia.

See also

In Spanish: Rod Sellers para niños