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Rogers played college basketball at Wake Forest University, As a freshman he stepped straight into Carl Tacy’s rotation in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the 1978-79 season and was one of four freshmen who moved into the lineup alongside veteran guard Frank Johnson, with Rogers and Jim Johnstone each starting 24 games on a 12-15 team that went 3-9 in ACC play and finished seventh.

He appeared in 26 games as a freshman and made 24 starts, averaging 32.7 minutes, 13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while shooting .468 from the field and .674 at the foul line, and his 352 points ranked among the best freshman scoring seasons in school history.

That first season also brought individual recognition, with Rogers earning Freshman All-America honours and finishing as the runner-up for ACC Rookie of the Year after immediately becoming one of Wake Forest’s main scoring options.

Rogers took another step in 1979-80, starting all 26 games for a 13-14 Wake Forest team that went 4-10 in ACC play and again finished seventh under Tacy.

As a sophomore he averaged 32.0 minutes, 15.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shot .520 from the field and .776 at the line, and scored a team-high 401 points, which made him Wake Forest’s leading scorer for the season.

His sophomore year ended with All-ACC honours, and he was also named the Demon Deacons’ co-Most Valuable Player after emerging as the team’s top offensive player.

Wake Forest broke through in 1980-81, finishing 22-7 overall and 9-5 in the ACC for third place, ending the year ranked 11th in the final AP poll and reaching the NCAA Tournament, where the Demon Deacons advanced to the Mideast second round before losing 67-64 to Boston College.

Rogers started all 29 games that season and averaged 31.1 minutes, 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting .482 from the field and .697 from the line, giving him 331 points for the year on a veteran team that also featured Frank Johnson, Jim Johnstone, Mike Helms and Guy Morgan.

During that junior season he produced several notable performances, including 15 points in a win over Maryland and 15 more in Wake Forest’s unbeaten start against NC State in December 1980, while remaining one of the club’s most durable and heavily used forwards.

His 1981-82 season was shortened, but he still remained part of a strong Wake Forest team that went 21-9 overall and 9-5 in the ACC, finished third in the league, ended the year ranked 18th in the final AP poll, beat Old Dominion 74-57 in the NCAA Tournament, and then fell 56-55 to Memphis in the East second round.

Rogers played only five games that season, starting three, averaging 20.2 minutes, 9.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting .477 from the field and 1.000 at the line, before a calf-muscle injury limited the rest of his year.

He returned for 1982-83 and helped Wake Forest post a 20-12 record with a 7-7 mark in ACC play, good for fifth place, before the Deacons reached the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament.

As a senior he played 28 games with 26 starts, averaged 27.1 minutes, 11.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists, shot .483 from the field and .739 from the foul line, and finished with 309 points for the season.

Among his key senior outings were 17 points in Wake Forest’s 88-84 road win over Duke on January 19, 1983 and 13 points in a December win over Saint Joseph’s during a 7-0 start to the season.

Across his Wake Forest career from 1978-79 through 1982-83, Rogers played 114 games and started 108, scored 1,441 points for a 12.6 points-per-game average, grabbed 656 rebounds, made 570 field goals and 301 free throws, and logged 3,420 career minutes, placing him among Wake Forest’s career leaders in scoring, rebounding, minutes and starts.

By the end of his college career he had helped lead Wake Forest to two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT semifinal run, and his college play was later followed by selection in the 1983 NBA Draft.