While the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted a lot of people’s worlds over the last year, not many people have had to make a choice to move across the country as the result of something brought about by the pandemic like 2022 Ohio State commit Roddy Gayle Jr. was forced to do.

Gayle, the No.46 overall prospect in the 2022 Rivals150 who formerly attended Lewiston Porter Senior High in Youngstown (NY), had to weigh his options in December when there was still no high school basketball being played in New York.

This ultimately led him to decide to transfer to Wasatch Academy, a powerhouse boarding school program in Mount Pleasant (Utah).

“COVID was both a blessing and a curse for me,” Gayle told BuckeyeGrove. “Due to the delay of the basketball season in New York, it forced me to make a decision to leave home in order to better myself or to stay home and continue to grind.”

Switching schools is never easy for any kid, but it is especially not easy when it requires you to move all the way across the country and nonetheless do so in the middle of the year, so the transition was not always smooth sailing for Gayle.

“At first I’d say the switch of schools was very difficult for me because I didn’t really know anyone out here in Utah so it was uncomfortable for me, but I began to build a bond with my teammates and coaching staff,” said Gayle. “Now it’s not that bad for me because I understand that this is what I need to do if I want to be prepared for the next level.”

Due to the fact that he did not make this decision until December 21st, Gayle joined the Tigers 11 games into the season as they sat at a perfect 11-0 upon his arrival. This made the switch all that more tough for Gayle as he had to adapt to the system midway through the season and did not want to mess with the momentum the team had already built, however, he made the most of it and attacked it with the right mindset.

“Due to how late I joined the team, I think I did a great job of adapting to the situation and doing anything Coach Paul (Peterson) wants me to do,” Gayle told me.

Playing some of the top teams in the country and really seeing a step up in competition since arriving at Wasatch Academy, the move somewhat has also been a blessing in disguise for Gayle as it has really allowed him to work on his game and better prepare himself for the next level by consistently competing against fellow high major talent.

“I think I’ve been a lot more efficient this season compared to last,” said Gayle. “Playing against and with some of the best kids in the country is a learning experience itself because at any moment any given player can go off.”

While he has been travelling all over the country and playing a rigorous schedule since joining the program at Wasatch, Gayle, as many others, has really enjoyed what Ohio State has done on the court and is not surprised by it one bit.

“I am very excited for the Buckeyes this season,” Gayle told me. “They have been putting in the grind ever since they were allowed to practice and it's paying off. What I like most is that they are playing unselfish and having fun while doing it.”

One of the top prep schools in the nation this season, Gayle and Wasatch Academy have likely earned their bid to the GEICO Nationals, which will take place at a site to be determined with the brackets to be released soon.

The tournament traditionally involves the top prep schools in the nation such as IMG Academy and Montverde Academy amongst many other powerhouses.

“I think we have a great roster and can catch some of these teams by surprise if we continue to play how we have the last few games,” said Gayle.

It will be interesting to see how the talented four-star wing fairs against some of the top guards in the country at the event as he is certainly one of them himself and will look to make a statement personally, but ultimately just wants to keep winning games.

It is unknown whether Gayle will spend another season at Wasatch Academy or not, but nothing really is certain nowadays anyways.

Regardless, the decision was a tough one for Gayle, but has shaped him into a better player on the court and has allowed face some adversity before coming to the next level, which some kids never really have to go through.

Stay tuned to BuckeyeGrove for the final edition of this series coming soon with five-star 2022 Ohio State commit Bruce Thornton!