The 2021 Rice basketball recruiting class has added another significant piece. Cornell transfer guard Terrance McBride has committed to the Owls.
One more member of the 2021 Rice basketball recruiting class is officially on board. Terrance McBride, a combo guard from Cornell, will transfer to Rice. McBride did not play last fall or this spring as the Ivy League opted to not participate in basketball competitions this season.
When he was on the court, McBride averaged 12.7 points and 3.2 assists per game, second most on the team. He seldom came off the court, averaging 32.9 minutes per game. Having a ball handler to pair with dangerous shooters like Quincy Olivari and Travis Evee could take an already dangerous offense to another level next season.
McBride is a facilitator who will set others up for success. The audio is a bit off on the clip below, but this play showcased some of his decision making and vision on the court.
The Terrance McBride-to-Josh Warren connection continues. @CUBigRedHoops goes up 12 on a beautiful feed from the junior to the senior. #YellCornell pic.twitter.com/GiZy3qGZrJ
— Cornell Video (@CornellVideo) March 8, 2020
As things currently stand, Rice only has two seniors on its roster, both graduate transfers in Ege Havsa and Tre Clark. The Owls will still be young next season. When McBride is eligible to play, he’ll presumably join Payton Moore and Chris Mullins as the elder statesmen on the roster. Beyond that pair, the team primarily consists of underclassmen.
Diversifying classes with veterans and younger players was an important takeaway from the Owls’ roster churn in previous years. Rice doesn’t want to become dependent on the Transfer Portal. That said, they’re going to have to adapt to that aspect of recruiting in today’s game. McBride is a positive development on that front.
