Robert Woodard II
Robert Anthony Woodard II (born September 22, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Austin Spurs. He played college basketball for Mississippi State, and has appeared in 25 NBA games for the Sacramento Kings. Early life and high school career. Woodard grew up playing basketball and baseball but narrowed his focus to basketball by the time he started high school, in part due to his exceptional height. He was already receiving Division I college attention in eighth grade. He  played basketball for Columbus High School in Columbus, Mississippi. As a sophomore, Woodard led Columbus to its first Mississippi Class 6A state title after averaging 20.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and four assists per game. In his junior season, he averaged 25.2 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and three blocks per game and was named Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year. As a senior, Woodard won his second Class 6A state championship and repeated as Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year. A four-star recruit and the highest-rated prospect in his state, he committed to play college basketball for Mississippi  State over offers from Alabama, Memphis and Ole Miss, among others. College career. As a freshman, Woodard averaged 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 17.4 minutes per game. He started one contest and shot 46 percent on field goals. He spent the following summer working on his shooting and lifting weights. On November 17, 2019, Woodard set career highs with 21 points and 16 rebounds in a 82–59 win over New Orleans. As a sophomore, Woodard averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Following the season, Woodard declared for the 2020 NBA draft, with the intention of  remaining in the draft. He had career totals of 539 points, 53 steals, 49 blocks, 65 assists and 342 rebounds. Professional career. Sacramento Kings (2020–2022). Woodard was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 40th pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He was subsequently traded alongside a 2022 second-round draft selection to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Xavier Tillman. On December 1, 2020, Woodard was signed by the Kings. On February 1, 2021, it was announced Woodard would had his first assignment at the NBA G League for the Austin Spurs. On January 5, 2022, Woodard was assigned  to the Stockton Kings after suffering an undisclosed illness. On February 10, he was waived by the Kings. Oklahoma City Blue (2022). On February 19, 2022, Woodard was acquired via waivers by the Iowa Wolves. Two days later, Woodard was traded to the Oklahoma City Blue in exchange for Melvin Frazier. San Antonio Spurs (2022–present). On March 4, 2022, Woodard signed a two-way contract with the San Antonio Spurs. National team career. Woodard won a gold medal with the United States at the 2015 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship in Bahía Blanca, Argentina. He played in all five games  and averaged 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Personal life. Woodard's father, also named Robert Woodard, left high school as the Mississippi all-time leading scorer in boys basketball, with 4,274 points, before playing for Mississippi State at the collegiate level.