Of the many numbers that catch Rodney Rice’s attention, one of the most prominent is the Maryland shooting guard’s plus-minus.

Plus-minus is the difference between points scored and points allowed by a player’s team and is used as an assessment of a player’s impact when he is on the court. Rice’s plus-minus of 321 trails only junior point Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s team-leading 328 and sometimes takes precedence over statistics such as points, 3-pointers and assists.

“My production is fine,” the 6-foot-4, 198-pound sophomore said. “I look at plus-minus a lot, and that’s important in today’s game. I think I’ve been on the positive side most times. So from that aspect, it’s fine, but just making shots, I can be more consistent.”

Like his plus-minus total, Rice’s impact has been more positive than negative for the No. 25 Terps (18-6, 8-5 Big Ten). He ranks fourth on the team in points per game (13.2) and second in total 3-pointers (50) and free-throw efficiency (81%).

And like Rice, coach Kevin Willard looks beyond the numbers when evaluating Rice’s value to the team.

“The best thing I can say about Rodney is that he is really fun to coach,” he said. “He’s got a great love for the game, he loves working on his game, he’s a great teammate. He’s just been really fun to coach.”

Rice is a hit with his teammates, too — especially when he is showcasing his skills on the court.

“He just can score the ball anytime,” Gillespie said. “He can get his shot off, he can create his shot, he can catch off the dribble. He can just get a shot off any time and go for 30 [points] if he wants.”

Whether Rice could be this productive was a question mark after he decided to transfer to Maryland from Virginia Tech. After a successful career at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville that made him a top 100 prospect in 2022, the Clinton resident played in just eight games as a freshman for the Hokies in 2022-23 because of ankle and hand injuries.

In his sophomore year in 2023-24, Rice left the program. Without getting into the specifics for his departure, he acknowledged growing disillusioned with the sport.

“It definitely was difficult,” he said. “Didn’t want to watch basketball at one point. Now we’re here, and the grass is definitely greener over here. I’m loving what’s going on. I have great relationships with the coaching staff and with my teammates. So I’m doing well here.”

After entering the transfer portal, Rice drew interest from several schools. But the opportunity to join the Terps proved more compelling.

“I preferred to come home,” he said. “If I had to go somewhere else, I would’ve. But my conversations with Coach Willard, he’s just a great guy, great dude, and we just clicked.”

When Maryland opened the season on Nov. 4 against Manhattan, Rice wasn’t starting, but coming off the bench. He did that for three more games, scoring a total of 56 points — including a career-high 28 in an 86-52 romp over Mount St. Mary’s on Nov. 8.

Rice said he yearned to start. But he also trusted Willard’s plan.

“You never know,” he said. “There could have been a reason why I came off the bench, but it’s just all up to Coach. It doesn’t have anything to do with what I think or how I felt about it.”

Rice has started each of the last 19 games and joined Gillespie and graduate student small forward Selton Miguel as the team’s top perimeter shooters. Rice’s top performance in conference play occurred when he racked up 23 points — including the game-winning 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left — in a 79-78 victory at Indiana on Jan. 26.

Even when he scored only eight points in a 91-70 upset at then-No. 17 Illinois on Jan. 23, Rice owned a team-high plus-25 rating.

“He’s been great,” said senior power forward Julian Reese, a Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate. “Even on the nights he’s off like the other night at Illinois, he didn’t score a lot, but he had one of the highest plus-minuses on the team, and that’s great. He comes with a great attitude whether he’s doing good or bad on offense.”

Added Willard: “I think the biggest thing with Rodney, too, is, his plus-minus has been off the charts the last two weeks. The difference when he’s on the court with the difference when he’s off the court has been huge.”

Scoring buckets isn’t Rice’s only priority. He takes pride in his defense, which he demonstrated when he limited Nebraska senior shooting guard Brice Williams to 14 points on 6 of 14 shooting, including 0 of 3 from 3-point range after he was averaging 18.9 points and had logged eight 20-point games.

“As you’ve seen in that game, I can play defense,” he said. “If I take it personal and just lock in, I’m a good defender. It’s all about my willingness and competitive nature.”

Scoring remains Rice’s forte although he said he doesn’t try to meet outside expectations. Instead, he said he is simply focused on contributing where he can for Maryland.

“I just stay in the gym,” he said. “So the results are going to show as long as I’m in there. I do have the confidence to play the way I’ve been playing. There’s also another level I can get to, but that’s just over time being more confident.”

Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.