Toledo Rockets star Ryan Rollins looks to take the next step in his game
TOLEDO, Ohio — After earning MAC Freshman of the Year honors last year, sophomore guard Ryan Rollins expects to take his game to the next level.
With last years’ MAC Player of the Year, Marreon Jackson, transferring to Arizona State, Rollins looks to step into the leading scorer role to guide the Toledo Rockets through the season. Rollins’ talent was no secret as he was named to the Preseason All-MAC first team and was placed on the 2021-22 Lou Henson Award preseason watch list.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Macomb, Michigan, started all 30 games during his freshman campaign and was the third leading scorer, averaging 13.7 points per game. He scored a total of 410 points that season which ranks fourth among freshmen in Toledo history.
Rollins showed the potential to be a 20 point per game scorer if given the keys to the offense as he cracked the 20-point mark three times last season and scored double digits in 25 of his 30 games. He also showed flashes during the first round of the NIT Tournament against Richmond where he scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half.
Coming into the 2021-22 season, Rollins is expected to see an uptick in production and more scoring opportunities.
Through nine games, the Rockets are 7-2 with Rollins leading the team in scoring with 20.9 points per game.
He scored a career high 35 points against Coastal Carolina in the championship game of the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship Tournament on Nov. 24. Rollins earned Tournament MVP honors with averages of 24.3 points and 5.3 rebounds on 49% shooting.
As of right now, Rollins has scored double-digits in all nine games and has eclipsed the 20-point mark on five occasions. He’s going to be one to look out for as Rollins is leading the MAC with a 20.9 point per game average, which is ranked 13th in the country. He’s also tied for second in the MAC with 1.9 steals per game.
It’s only been nine games and Rollins has already scored about half (188 points through nine games) of his point total of last year (410 points through 30 games). If Rollins can keep up this production and the Rockets continue to win, he could be in contention for MAC Player of the Year.
The Rockets will begin conference play against Western Michigan on Dec. 29. Rollins hopes to continue his breakout season and lead the Rockets back to the MAC tournament.
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