Rode to Begin Pro Career in Germany With EWE Baskets Oldenburg
7/16/2024 12:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty men's basketball alum Kyle Rode will begin his professional career in Germany. Rode has signed a contract to play for EWE Baskets Oldenburg for the 2024-25 season.
"I'm so grateful for how my time at Liberty has prepared me for my professional basketball journey," Rode said. "Liberty has helped me athletically, academically and spiritually, and I have made so many lasting relationships here. Jess and I are excited to our next chapter in Germany together but are going to miss being here in Lynchburg!
Rode and EWE Baskets Oldenburg will begin training camp in August, with the season set to run from late September through May. EWE Baskets Oldenburg competes in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the highest level league of professional basketball in Germany, as well as the Champions League in Europe. The German BBL consists of 18 teams, with the season split into a league stage and a playoff stage. Located in northwest Germany, the city of Oldenburg boasts a population is 179,616.
"I am happy that Kyle has decided to come to Oldenburg. He can play many positions and understands the game extremely well," said EWE Baskets Oldenburg Head Coach Pedro Calles. "Thanks to his high basketball IQ, he will certainly be able to speed up the process of adaptation. I am sure that we have not only signed a good basketball player, but also a good personality."
Prior to serving as the head coach of EWE Baskets Oldenburg, Calles was the coach of Hamburg Towers from 2020-22, coaching former Flame Caleb Homesley during the 2021-22 season in what was his first year playing professional basketball overseas.
Rode, a forward, concluded his Liberty career with 1,498 points (No. 14 in school history), 627 rebounds (No. 12 in school history), 467 assists (No. 6 in school history) and 269 three-pointers (No. 2 in school history) in 163 games (137 starts). He is one of two players in school history to be ranked in the top 15 in program history in career points, rebounds and assists.
Rode, a native of Lexington, Ky., graduated this May with a master's degree in executive leadership and finished with a 3.82 GPA. Rode earned a bachelor's degree in information systems in May 2022 while carrying a 3.57 GPA. He leaves Liberty as a three-time all-conference honoree (one CUSA, two ASUN) and two-time NABC All-District team selection (first team 2023-24, second team 2022-23). Some of his other accomplishments include: 2022-23 ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year, two-time CSC Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team, ASUN All-Tournament team (2021), three-time NABC Honors Court recipient, four-time ASUN Academic Honor Roll recipient, Bahamas Showcase MVP (2019) and ASUN Newcomer of the Week (2019).
Rode played his fifth and final year for the Flames during the 2023-24 season. The Lexington, Ky. native collected numerous awards during his last season at Liberty, including: All-CUSA second team, Conference USA All-Academic team, College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team, VaSID Academic All-State team, Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List (Jan. 10), Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week (Nov. 21), Lou Henson National Player of the Week (Nov. 20), two-time CUSA Player of the Week (Nov. 13, Nov. 20), 2023 Myrtle Beach Invitational MVP, 2023-24 CUSA Commissioner's Academic Medal winner, 2023-24 CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll and the MVP of the Hall of Fame Series game against Charlotte (Nov. 10).
Rode averaged a team-leading 14.2 points per game this past year and made 100 three-pointers, tied for the fifth most in a season in school history. Rode made 3.13 three-pointers per game, which ranked 17th best in the country and first among CUSA players. His 100 total threes ranked first in CUSA and 29th most in the nation. He also averaged 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Rode and the Flames won two conference championship titles (ASUN in 2020 and 2021), three regular season crowns (2020, 2021 and 2023) and a divisional title (2022) in his five years.
"I'm so grateful for how my time at Liberty has prepared me for my professional basketball journey," Rode said. "Liberty has helped me athletically, academically and spiritually, and I have made so many lasting relationships here. Jess and I are excited to our next chapter in Germany together but are going to miss being here in Lynchburg!
Rode and EWE Baskets Oldenburg will begin training camp in August, with the season set to run from late September through May. EWE Baskets Oldenburg competes in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the highest level league of professional basketball in Germany, as well as the Champions League in Europe. The German BBL consists of 18 teams, with the season split into a league stage and a playoff stage. Located in northwest Germany, the city of Oldenburg boasts a population is 179,616.
"I am happy that Kyle has decided to come to Oldenburg. He can play many positions and understands the game extremely well," said EWE Baskets Oldenburg Head Coach Pedro Calles. "Thanks to his high basketball IQ, he will certainly be able to speed up the process of adaptation. I am sure that we have not only signed a good basketball player, but also a good personality."
Prior to serving as the head coach of EWE Baskets Oldenburg, Calles was the coach of Hamburg Towers from 2020-22, coaching former Flame Caleb Homesley during the 2021-22 season in what was his first year playing professional basketball overseas.
Rode, a forward, concluded his Liberty career with 1,498 points (No. 14 in school history), 627 rebounds (No. 12 in school history), 467 assists (No. 6 in school history) and 269 three-pointers (No. 2 in school history) in 163 games (137 starts). He is one of two players in school history to be ranked in the top 15 in program history in career points, rebounds and assists.
Rode, a native of Lexington, Ky., graduated this May with a master's degree in executive leadership and finished with a 3.82 GPA. Rode earned a bachelor's degree in information systems in May 2022 while carrying a 3.57 GPA. He leaves Liberty as a three-time all-conference honoree (one CUSA, two ASUN) and two-time NABC All-District team selection (first team 2023-24, second team 2022-23). Some of his other accomplishments include: 2022-23 ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year, two-time CSC Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team, ASUN All-Tournament team (2021), three-time NABC Honors Court recipient, four-time ASUN Academic Honor Roll recipient, Bahamas Showcase MVP (2019) and ASUN Newcomer of the Week (2019).
Rode played his fifth and final year for the Flames during the 2023-24 season. The Lexington, Ky. native collected numerous awards during his last season at Liberty, including: All-CUSA second team, Conference USA All-Academic team, College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team, VaSID Academic All-State team, Lou Henson Award Mid-Season Watch List (Jan. 10), Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week (Nov. 21), Lou Henson National Player of the Week (Nov. 20), two-time CUSA Player of the Week (Nov. 13, Nov. 20), 2023 Myrtle Beach Invitational MVP, 2023-24 CUSA Commissioner's Academic Medal winner, 2023-24 CUSA Commissioner's Honor Roll and the MVP of the Hall of Fame Series game against Charlotte (Nov. 10).
Rode averaged a team-leading 14.2 points per game this past year and made 100 three-pointers, tied for the fifth most in a season in school history. Rode made 3.13 three-pointers per game, which ranked 17th best in the country and first among CUSA players. His 100 total threes ranked first in CUSA and 29th most in the nation. He also averaged 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Rode and the Flames won two conference championship titles (ASUN in 2020 and 2021), three regular season crowns (2020, 2021 and 2023) and a divisional title (2022) in his five years.
Lynchburg ?? Germany ????@KyleRode has signed his first professional contract with @EWE_Baskets!
— Liberty Men's Basketball (@LibertyMBB) July 16, 2024
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