Robert Woodard II

Robert Anthony Woodard II (born September 22, 1999) is an American basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Robert Woodard II
Woodard with Mississippi State in 2020
No. 13 Sacramento Kings
PositionSmall forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1999-09-22) September 22, 1999
Columbus, Mississippi
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High schoolColumbus
(Columbus, Mississippi)
CollegeMississippi State (2018–2020)
NBA draft2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40th overall
Selected by the Memphis Grizzlies
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–presentSacramento Kings
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Early life and high school career

Woodard grew up playing basketball and baseball but narrowed his focus to basketball by the time he started high school, in part due to his exceptional height.[1] He was already receiving Division I college attention in eighth grade. He played basketball for Columbus High School in Columbus, Mississippi.[2] As a sophomore, Woodard led Columbus to its first Mississippi Class 6A state title after averaging 20.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and four assists per game.[3] In his junior season, he averaged 25.2 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and three blocks per game and was named Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year.[4] As a senior, Woodard won his second Class 6A state championship and repeated as Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year.[1] A four-star recruit and the highest-rated prospect in his state, he committed to play college basketball for Mississippi State over offers from Alabama, Memphis and Ole Miss, among others.[5]

College career

As a freshman, Woodard averaged 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 17.4 minutes per game. He started one contest and shot 46 percent on field goals. He spent the following summer working on his shooting and lifting weights.[6] On November 17, 2019, Woodard set career highs with 21 points and 16 rebounds in a 82–59 win over New Orleans.[7] As a sophomore, Woodard averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.[8] Following the season, Woodard declared for the 2020 NBA draft, with the intention of remaining in the draft.[9] He had career totals of 539 points, 53 steals, 49 blocks, 65 assists and 342 rebounds.[10]

Professional career

Sacramento Kings (2020–present)

Woodard was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 40th pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He was subsequently traded alongside a 2022 second-round draft selection to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Xavier Tillman.[11] On December 1, 2020, Woodard was signed by the Kings.[12] On February 1, 2021, it was announced Woodard would had his first assignment at the G League.[13]

National team career

Woodard won a gold medal with the United States at the 2015 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship in Bahía Blanca, Argentina. He played in all five games and averaged 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.[14]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Mississippi State 34117.5.468.273.5804.1.7.5.55.5
2019–20 Mississippi State 313133.1.495.429.6416.51.31.11.011.4
Career 653224.9.485.368.6175.31.0.8.88.3

Personal life

Woodard's father, also named Robert Woodard, left high school as the Mississippi all-time leading scorer in boys basketball, with 4,274 points, before playing for Mississippi State at the collegiate level.[6]

References

  1. Lowery, Logan (February 8, 2019). "Woodard's basketball focus paying off". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  2. Faulk, Robbie (November 24, 2017). "Robert Woodard Sr. "Elated" in Son's Decision". 247Sports. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  3. Sammon, Will (June 10, 2016). "Luther Riley out as Columbus basketball coach". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  4. Costabile, Annie (March 20, 2017). "Robert Woodard named Gatorade POY". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  5. "Four-star forward Robert Woodard commits to Mississippi State". WJTV. November 15, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  6. Hodge, Garrick (October 5, 2019). "Flexing his muscles: How Mississippi State's Robert Woodard II plans to take a step forward". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  7. "Woodard sends Mississippi State past New Orleans 82-59". ESPN. Associated Press. November 17, 2019. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  8. "S. Carolina, Miss. St. meet in conference play". Associated Press. February 18, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  9. Givony, Jonathan (April 9, 2020). "Mississippi State's Robert Woodard II entering NBA draft". ESPN. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  10. Palmer, Lydia (September 13, 2020). "From MSU to the NBA: Robert Woodard II". The Reflector. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  11. "Kings Acquire Draft Rights To Robert Woodard II and 2022 Second-Round Draft Selection". NBA.com. November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  12. "Kings Sign Robert Woodard II". NBA.com. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  13. "Austin Spurs receive flex-assignment Robert Woodard II from Sacramento Kings". NBA.com. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  14. Cronin, Courtney (June 15, 2015). "Woodard, USA Basketball win gold at FIBA Americas". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
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