LOGAN, Utah – Utah State head men’s basketball coach Ryan Odom has officially announced the signing of R.J. Eytle-Rock and Brandon Horvath, set to join the Aggies for the upcoming 2021-22 season.
“R.J. will be an excellent addition to our program,” Odom said. “He is excited to be joining his new teammates in Logan and will strengthen our backcourt with his versatility on both ends.”
Eytle-Rock is the second student-athlete addition from UMBC and led the Retrievers in scoring a season ago, turning in 14.3 points per game and shooting 47.4 percent (92-of-194) from the floor and 40.0 percent (22-of-55) from behind the arc. Eytle-Rock also led UMBC at the charity stripe, attempting more (101) and making more (80) shots from the free throw line than any other member of the team. Eytle-Rock scored in double figures in each of the Retrievers’ final 12 games of the season and in 16 games overall, turning in 20 or more points in three games, including a season-high 27 at New Hampshire.
The London, England, native was also tops for UMBC with 51 assists, averaging 2.5 per game, while also averaging close to five rebounds per game (4.9). Eytle-Rock pulled down five or more rebounds in 12 games and had multiple assists in all but five games during the year.
Eytle-Rock finished second on the team in scoring during the 2019-20 season, averaging 11.2 points per game, while also averaging 4.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Eytle-Rock started in each of the final 17 games of the 2019-20 campaign, scoring a season-high 31 points at Vermont in the season finale. Eytle-Rock scored in double figures in 13 games that season and logged a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds at the University of Albany. As a freshman, Eytle-Rock was named to the America East all-rookie team after appearing in 31 games with 24 starts, recording 5.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
Odom also announced the signing of graduate transfer Brandon Horvath, set to join the Aggies for the upcoming 2021-22 season.
“We are excited to have Brandon join us here at Utah State. Brandon worked really hard to establish himself as one of the better players in the America East,” Odom said. “He certainly fits our style of play and will prove to be a versatile player for our program. He is excited about the challenge of competing in the Mountain West.”
Horvath is joining the Aggies for his final season of eligibility after playing under Odom at UMBC over the last four years. The 6-foot-10, 210-pound Horvath finished second on the team a season ago with 13.1 points per game and led the Retrievers on the glass with 8.7 rebounds per contest. At the end of the 2020-21 season, Horvath was named second-team all-District 1 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and to the first team of the America East Conference.
Over the course of his career at UMBC, Horvath appeared in 113 games and made 54 starts, including every game during the 2020-21 season. In addition to averaging in double figures as a senior, Horvath also turned in 11.0 points per game during his junior campaign and has totaled 986 points over the course of his career. Horvath’s scoring numbers include 44 games in double figures, including five games with 20 or more. Horvath is a career 45.9 percent (344-of-749) shooter from the floor and has connected on 31.9 percent (95-of-298) from beyond the 3-point line. On the glass, Horvath recorded double-digit rebounds in 16 games during his career, finishing with 12 double-doubles during his time at UMBC.