The 2020 Rice Basketball recruiting class got bigger and better with their second commitment of the class, adding center Mylyjael Poteat from North Carolina.
With the 2019-2020 Rice basketball season drawing near, the Owls are working to make their team better on multiple fronts. Those on campus started practice last week, prepping for the upcoming campaign. At the same time, the 2020 Rice basketball recruiting class is growing.
After adding 6-foot-4 forward Cameron Sheffield in the spring, Rice picked up their second commitment in their 2020 class on Monday. 6-foot-9 center Mylyjael Poteat from the Burlington School in North Carolina has made his pledge to the Owls. His commitment makes Rice the only C-USA school with multiple players commitment to their 2020 class.
I would like to thank my family, my teammates, my coaches and all the schools that have recruited me. With that being said I’m excited to announce my commitment to Rice University! #GoOwls👐 pic.twitter.com/q2D2hNQJF6
— Mylyjael Poteat (@mylyjael) September 30, 2019
In addition to Rice, Poteat had offers from American, Boston University, Dartmouth, Brown, Lehigh and Radford. He had also received interest from Penn and Wofford.
On the court, there’s a lot to like about Poteat’s game. For a guy of his size, he moves well. He’s trimmed about 25 pounds since August, checking in closer to 250 pounds. The slimmer Poteat has good hands and great footwork in the paint. He’s going to be a tremendous defender with some good touch on the offensive side of his game.
More: View the complete 2019-2020 Rice basketball schedule
Poteat is athletic, giving him a great base to build on as he continues to develop. His potential by the time he gets to Rice will only climb higher as he continues to work. If you’re Rice, you want to get talented players with upside. Poteat checks both boxes.
Poteat said he “fell in love with the entire staff and team” and was “impressed with what goes on behind the scenes in terms of player development.” When asked how he knew Rice was the place he wanted to be, Poteat was emphatic. “[Rice is] a great university where I really see myself flourishing.”
A 2020 Rice basketball preview is in the works. We’ll have it up on the site in the coming weeks before the Owls tip off their season in a home exhibition against St. Edwards on Halloween night at 7:00 p.m.
