The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Rogers, a junior at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, might be the most unlikely scoring threat in the country. Official Campus Bookstore at UMBC featuring the latest UMBC branded clothing, the largest selections of used textbooks, a full service computer store, study aids, trade books, art “It was kind of stressful,” he says. "I always felt like I played better than my matchup. At 5 feet 2 inches tall, Darnell Rogers is the shortest player in men's Division I basketball history on scholarship. Nobody blocks my shot when I shoot; I can finish at the rim at my size. I belong, and I can play.". This past season, Rogers averaged 9.8 points and shot 40% from 3-point range, helping lead the Retrievers to a share of the America East regular-season title. CATONSVILLE, Md. For the 5-foot-2 Rogers -- believed to be the shortest scholarship player in Division I men's basketball history -- … PLAYER STATS. UMBC was established upon the land of the Piscataway and Susquehannock peoples. “I always told him, ‘This is what you’re going to face,’ ” Shawnta says. "I've played with everybody, played against everybody," Rogers told ESPN last season. “I had to do that, too,” Shawnta says. I always knew what I was capable of.”. Wooden Watch: Which Gonzaga star will be most important to Zags' title hopes? 'It's unheard of': Meet the 5-foot-2 phenom taking college hoops by storm. Rogers quickly emerged as a fan favorite last year at UMBC and feels he is playing for coaches who aren’t pigeonholing him into a certain role. “He was never afraid of guys who were bigger than him,” says Odom, who was coaching at Charlotte at the time. 5-foot-2 Darnell Rogers proving his doubters wrong (2:34), UMBC's 5-foot-2 guard Rogers enters portal, Michigan's Livers out indefinitely with foot injury, Vols F out of SEC tourney after getting elbowed, OK St. stuns Baylor, nears 'vision' of Big 12 title, Howard tossed after tempers flare with Turgeon, Positive test knocks Kansas out of Big 12 tourney, Source: GEICO Nationals back after 1-year hiatus, 'Disappointed' Cal rues UK's NCAA-less campaign, The tragedy of Hank Gathers and triumph of Loyola Marymount, Chaos, confusion and college basketball: Remembering the day the Big East shut down, When March Madness went quiet in Las Vegas, What we know and don't know about Duke's positive COVID-19 test. After seeing his father play at a high level — in France, in Italy, in Belgium — Rogers never put limits on what he could do on or off the court. But he decommitted shortly after allegations emerged the next summer that Coach Mike Lonergan had been verbally and emotionally abusive toward players. • Is D.C. Ken Pomeroy, the college game’s stats guru, says Rogers is the shortest Division I player going back to at least 2007, when he started keeping track of such things. He started his career at Florida Gulf Coast before spending a season at New Mexico Junior College and then transferring to UMBC. Points Per Game. “You had no idea how much he’d grow, how tall he’d get. Finally on the Brink of Statehood? “But it’s normal to me. He is regaining strength in his left leg and still looking for that burst of speed that sets him apart on the court. There was a 5-2 walk-on at Southeastern Louisiana a few years ago, and Stephen F. Austin had a 5-3 starting guard named Eric Bell from 2008 to 2010. Short Story: UAlbany takes six-of-seven sets played and earned a 3-1 win over UMBC and 3-0 win over Binghamton. Less than two weeks after Michael Fly replaced Joe Dooley as head coach, Rogers decided to transfer, eventually landing at New Mexico Junior College, where he averaged 14 points in the 2018-19 season. “I always played guard. The Retrievers have moved into America East Conference play, but Rogers says he is still not 100 percent. “I can do whatever I want now, so why would I think about being something I’m not?”. The next night, in a win over Delaware, he grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. (2:34). And now, Darnell Rogers, the 5 … Immediately," UMBC coach Ryan Odom said. I never got bullied or anything. But for Rogers, height truly is … View the latest in UMBC Retrievers, NCAA basketball news here. He also competed for the VCU Rams in his freshman season but played a limited role before transferring. Trending news, game recaps, highlights, player information, rumors, videos and more from FOX Sports. He played college basketball for the UMBC Retrievers. He is almost always the quickest on the court, scurrying around the perimeter, creating his own picks and ducking in and out of traffic. At just 5-foot-2, Darnell Rogers is believed to be the shortest scholarship player in Division I men's basketball history, but thanks to the path of his father and a fearless attitude, he's always achieved big things on the court. He played seven games last … He might be unfazed, but the college game isn’t accustomed to a player such as Rogers. — When the huddle breaks, the players scatter, and the one in the center is finally visible. The UMBC men's basketball team shot 36.1% from the field and 21.4% from 3-point range in struggling to score 63 points, their second-lowest output of the season, in a loss to Hartford. By now, he is not much of a basketball oddity, though. 48d Eytle-Rock scores 14 to carry UMBC past Hartford 57-49 “Look, people see what they see. “It’s something you can’t duplicate in practice,” he says. Isaiah Thomas; 5-9; Shortest player named to an All-NBA team (2017) America East Tournament. Kori was a four-year letter winner in basketball and a three-year letter winner in lacrosse at UMBC. He explains that other players on the court have no experience playing against someone so short and so quick. Rogers says that mentality was born on the football field, where he played running back through high school and relished the contact. A lot that stuff comes with playing basketball. 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