Rodney Purvis will have a lot of time to practice in the upcoming year.
After transferring to UConn from N.C. State, the 6-foot-4 Purvis must sit out the 2013-14 season.
He will be able to practice with the Huskies, but won’t play in games.
Purvis has gotten another golden opportunity to practice this week as he tries out for the U.S. U19 World Championship team by battling guards like Duke’s Rasheed Sulaimon, Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart and Texas‘ Javan Felix, among others.
“With Rasheed he’s really quick off the dribble and he can really shoot and he has a really quick release, and same thing with Marcus,” Purvis, who averaged 8.3 points and 2.4 rebounds as a freshman at N.C. State, told SNY.tv by phone from Colorado Springs, Colo.
“Marcus is more so stronger, so if he feels like he’s a little bit stronger, he will take you to the post. Both of those guys are unique in their own ways, both of them are great players.
As for the upcoming season, Purvis said it will be “tough” to sit out as UConn makes the transition to the American Athletic Conference from the Big East.
“It’s going to be tough, but I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “It was my decision to make knowing that I have to sit out. I just can’t wait. I’m around a lot of great guys who just the love the game of basketball. Practices are going to be my games, so I’m just going to enjoy that until it’s my time to play.”
During this upcoming season, UConn figures to challenge defending NCAA champion Louisville and Memphis atop the American.
“I think we can be really good,” he said. “We got 20 wins last year and we couldn’t play any [postseason] tournaments or anything like that, so I really feel we have a great future.
“We have some pretty good young guys coming in, a lot of length and a lot of height. That’s what kind of hurt us a little bit last year. But I feel like this year and in the future we’ll be really, really good.”
**For more stories on the USA U19 & U16 teams, click here.
