Hidden 7-foot-3 Center at Laurinburg

Seven footers are hard not to notice. But somehow 7-foot-3, 270 pound Damiao Rodrigues is a bit of an unknown. The center is in his second year prepping at Laurinburg Institute (NC). With a tough national schedule more programs will see the big man. According to head coach Ronaldo De La Berrea, the Brazilian native is taking advantage of his time in the United States.

Rodrigues isn’t overly skilled but he has excellent ball skills and improving post moves. With his size, he is tough to shoot over and around. Size alone makes him an interesting commodity. De La Berrea wouldn’t comment on the schools recruiting him but did say his center’s options are also involving professional endeavors.

“He might have some professional options overseas. Now is the perfect time to play three years abroad and getting to work with a club over there. By then, he’ll have some marketable skills at 22 years of age and then perhaps come back to the states,” De La Berrea said.

In the event Rodrigues stays stateside, De La Berrea said coaches would need to be patient with the big man.

“Damiao needs to find a school that has a great conditioning program. He’s a big kid but he still needs to improve his upper body strength. If somebody here see the light and takes a year with him on a weight training program, then they will have a solid player.”

At the present moment, there are no leaders. Rodrigues is open to inquiries.

In the landscape of the NBA draft, some players are staying in their home countries and letting the international obsession work to their benefit. For Rodrigues, his Laurinburg teammates and other international players in the US, coming here is a step in the right direction for both immediate and long-term futures.

“Most of the guys that come here want to play whether it is at high school or college. They get to take advantage of the things in the United States,” De La Berrea said.

“Some of these players weren’t the fantastic player back home but they have that potential that everyone talks about. Hopefully they get better at basketball and get an education in their formidable years. They get to learn English and perhaps get a degree. That’s appealing to a lot of them.”