Former CdM standout D.J. Rodman makes JSerra debut, leads Lions past Marina

When you ask JSerra High boys’ basketball coach Zach Brogdon about star transfer D.J. Rodman, there is no hesitation to mention the former Corona del Mar standout’s unselfishness.

For the first half of Rodman’s debut with the Lions, a meeting with Marina in the Jim Harris Classic on Tuesday, this signature trait was at the forefront. Perhaps a little too much.

Rodman eased into his first game in a JSerra uniform, putting up a modest two points through one quarter and failing to connect on his first field goal until the 2:16 mark of the second quarter. The result was a back-and-forth first half in which Marina led for a significant portion and it never lost control.

Rodman flipped a switch to start the third quarter, however, and was the difference in a game where the Lions found themselves in search of someone to take charge.

The son of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman poured in 15 of his team-high 23 points in the second half, attacking the paint seemingly at will and leading JSerra to a 62-55 victory over the Vikings at Ocean View High.

“I really kept my foot off the gas [in the first half],” D.J. Rodman said. “I don’t know what happened, but a switch just turned on in my head and I kept my foot on the gas the whole game.”

It’s difficult to fault Rodman for the slow start. He was playing in a completely unfamiliar environment for the first time. The 6-foot-4 junior had played his entire high school career at CdM up until Tuesday night, having transferred to JSerra in late September.

While it is certainly a shake-up in surroundings, with plenty of memories remaining from his time with the Sea Kings, Rodman is fully embracing the opportunity to shine on one of the most talented teams in California. Just one game in, the versatile guard is already beginning to find his groove with the Lions, who are ranked No. 16 in the state by CalHiSports.com.

“It’s hard to explain because it is such a different experience with these guys,” said Rodman, who averaged 20.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with the Sea Kings last season, earning All-CIF Southern Section Division 1A honors. “I’ve known CdM for my whole high school career so far, but I really love this [JSerra] school. It’s really easy coming in and fitting in with these guys.”

Despite the small sample size, it is easy to see why an abundance of hype has followed last season’s Pacific Coast League MVP to JSerra.

Critical momentum swings coincided with Rodman’s increased aggressiveness on the offensive end, with the first instance occurring late in the first half.

Held to just four points on free throws up to this point, Rodman’s first field goal of the night put the Lions up 25-24 and the team would never look back. Rodman helped force a turnover on the ensuing possession, scored his second consecutive basket on the other end, and JSerra would hold the lead for the remainder of its season opener.

Midway through the third quarter, Rodman scored six unanswered to give the Lions a double-digit lead, and the team settled into a comfort zone that was apparent throughout. This carried over to the fourth quarter, as Rodman scored nine points.

“I just told him he’s one of the best players on the court, and when he feels he can go, go,” Brogdon said. “He’s such an unselfish person naturally that he tends to want to set others up. I think coming into a new situation, he really has done that. He’s acclimated so well. He’s such a wonderful young man, so I told him he needs to go be a dude. In the second half, I thought he was the best player on the court.”

Joel Mensah, Kevin White and Joey Alves also scored in double-figures for JSerra, with each player recording 12 points.

Meanwhile, Marina coach Nick Racklin has plenty to be optimistic about, despite a losing effort, largely due to a monster performance from Jakob Alamudun.

The junior forward recorded a game-high 27 points, continuing to show improved shot selection and rebounding prowess for the Vikings. Foul trouble haunted him during the evening, however, as Alamudun would foul out in the late stages of the fourth quarter with JSerra pulling away.

For Marina (2-1), which returns to tournament action on Thursday against Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula at 7 p.m., the hard-fought effort against one of the best teams in Orange County provides an early-season benchmark.

“It’s a good test for us to play guys that are Division I college basketball players,” Racklin said of the Lions, whose second game in the tournament is on Wednesday and against another Sunset League team in Los Alamitos. “We can see where we are at. If they had a double-digit lead, it was barely. We hung in and never gave up, but ultimately, they just had more talent than us altogether.”

*

JSerra 62, Marina 55

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Marina 12 – 13 – 15 — 15 — 55

JSerra 12 – 19 – 15 — 16 — 62

M – Alamudun 27, Serour 14, Knapp 5, Babish 4, Keeler 4, Jensen 1.

3-pt. goals – Alamudun 3, Serour 2, Knapp 1.

Fouled out – Keeler, Alamudun.

Technicals – None.

J – Rodman 23, Mensah 12, White 12, Alves 12, Alvarado 3.

3-pt. goals – White 1, Alves 1, Alvarado 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

JOSH CRISWELL is a contributor to Times Community News. Follow him on Twitter: @joshccriswell