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WNBA Draft: Erica Ogwumike chosen by Liberty, traded to Lynx

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Former Rice women’s basketball star Erica Ogwumike has been selected by the New York Liberty in the 2020 WNBA Draft and traded to the Minnesota Lynx.

When her Rice women’s basketball career came to a close, Erica Ogwumike had already paved the way for her future off the court. The Owls’ all-time leader in scoring average had spent most of the preseason flying back and forth across the country as she interviewed with medical schools. Ogwumike has since been accepted to nine medical schools, but her immediate future was somewhat in flux.

That was true until Friday night, when Ogwumike was selected by the New York with the second pick of the third round of the WNBA Draft. She was soon traded to the Minnesota Lynx.

Erica joins her sisters, Nneka and Chiney in the professional ranks. She is the third of four sisters to earn a WNBA Draft selection. Both Nneka and Chiney were chosen first overall, Nneka by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012 and Chiney by the Connecticut Sun in 2014. Ogwumike had to wait her turn to come off the board, but still joined an exclusive group of WNBA draftees.

More on The Roost Podcast: Erica Ogwumike talks COVID-19 and her Rice career

As evidenced by her medical school opportunities, the youngest sister took a different path to begin her professional career. Erica was not a highly-touted recruited. Nor did she make any NCAA Tournament Final Four appearances like her sisters. She took a less conventional route, going from Pepperdine to Rice, where she caught fire as her career progressed.

Ogwumike finished her collegiate career as the back-to-back Conference USA Player of the Year. She led her team to back-to-back regular season conference championships and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019. A truncated 2020 season prevented what could have been another postseason run.

Those memories will take a back seat for now as Ogwumike embarks on a new adventure. For now, med school is on hold. Ogwumike is headed to the WNBA.

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Rice Football: Oddsmakers rising on Owls for 2020

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Rice football is becoming more palatable in the eyes of Vegas oddsmakers. Those experts tab the Owls as a fringe bowl team in 2020.

The oddsmakers haven’t loved Rice football since the program began its rebuild two seasons ago. Preseason expectations have hovered somewhere between two to three wins per season, essentially a smidge above UTEP in the Conference USA pecking order. The first signs of the oddsmakers’ changing perception of the Owls have appeared in recent days.

Even with sporting events on an indefinite hiatus, the books released their numbers. Caesar’s set the over-under on Rice football 2020 regular season wins at 5.5. Only three teams in the West (UAB, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech) had higher totals. UAB and FAU set atop the totals with eight apiece.

5.5 wins might not seem like that much of a leap from 2.5, but three wins is quite the jump for the oddsmakers considering a 12 game season. If Rice beats the number, something those inside the walls at South Main has been readying for since their season ended, Rice would be a bowl team for the first time since 2014.

BetOnline followed a week later with odds to win Conference USA West. UAB was the favorite at 5/4 with Louisiana Tech next in line at 5/2. Then came Southern Miss at 11/4 and Rice at 14/1.

For those unfamiliar with the fractional output, 14/1 odds equate to roughly a 6.7 percent chance of Rice winning the West. That’s a low number, but it’s leaps and bounds higher than UTEP (250/1, 0.4 percent) and the Miners hired their head coach at the same time as the Owls.

Projections will only carry Rice football so far. Eventually, they’ll have to prove those expectations on the field. That’s an opportunity for which coach Bloomgren and his players are eagerly awaiting.

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Rice Football: OC Jerry Mack to coach quarterbacks

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The Rice football coaching staff has two additional changes. Offensive coordinator Jerry Mack is moving to the quarterback room.

Earlier this spring, when Rice football practices were still in session, two of three notable coaching changes were announced. Sanders Davis and Chris Monfiletto were promoted from within, filling vacated spots on the coaching staff. Davis will coach the offensive line while Monfiletto will coach the tight ends.

One more change has been announced. Mike Bloomgren detailed the additional move during a conversation the JP Heath on an episode of Rice Owls Insider. Offensive coordinator Jerry Mack will now coach quarterbacks while former quarterbacks coach Robbie Picazo will coach running backs.

This is Mack’s third position group he’s been responsible for at Rice. He started with the wide receivers in 2018 before shifting to running backs last season. His experience as a head coach at North Carolina Central combined with experiences in several different offenses made him a valuable sounding board for the rest of the offensive staff.

During the year he was inserted in the quarterback meetings. Bloomgren credits that to the development of the position over time. “We were best last year when Jerry Mack was in the quarterback room full time,” he said, later adding that position group, in particular, were ones who “need to hear the voice of our coordinator.”

The Roost Podcast: Taylor McHargue discusses 2013 C-USA Championship team 

Mack’s influence on the offense was clear in the tail end of the 2019 season. With JoVoni Johnson at the controls, the Owls spread things out, balancing their traditional ground and pound with a more conventional look. Bloomgren hinted more of that could be in store for the future, making Mack’s presence in the quarterback room going forward a key component of any offensive evolution.

Picazo won’t be going far, but he will have a new responsibility. Learning from Bloomgren at Stanford, Picazo’s only experience has been in this system working with quarterbacks. Bloomgren wants him to give him a chance to develop and influence a new portion of the offensive. Former running backs coach Drew Svoboda has been working with him during the spring as he gets up to speed.

From an optics standpoint, the swap makes a lot of sense. The Rice offense looked its best last season when Mack had a direct line of communication into the quarterback room. Credit to Bloomgren for noticing the improvement and acting on it, even if that required some musical chairs on his staff to accomplish.

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Rice Football Recruiting: 2021 LB DJ Arkansas commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice Football class picked up a major commitment from Denton Ryan linebacker DJ Arkansas, the highest-rated member of the Owls’ class.

For DJ Arkansas, things have finally come full circle. The linebacker was the first defensive player offered a spot in the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class. That offer came back in October when the Owls were making their initial foray into the 2021 class.

Rice is historically choosy with its offers, making the first offer all the more important. It was noteworthy they opened their 2021 defensive class with a push to get the Denton Ryan defender on board. Rice made their overture clear and continued to build that relationship over time. That focus has paid dividends.

After receiving offers from schools across the country from San Diego State on the West Coast to Duke on the East Coast, the Texas native has made his decision. Even though he shares a namesake with Arkansas, who extended him an offer and made a push to woo him to the SEC, DJ Arkansas has committed to Rice.

More: 2021 Rice Football Recruiting Tracker

Arkansas is the third linebacker and the fifth player to join the 2021 Rice Football Recruiting class. He joins Aidan Siano and Kenny Seymour at his position as well as offensive lineman Faaeanuu Pepe and defensive lineman Blake Boenisch. Altogether, the group represents the highest-rated recruiting class in Conference USA.

This is a huge addition for the Owls. Arkansas brings a fire and focus on the field that should make him an elite defender in Conference USA. He’s aggressive but smart. He’s knowledgable enough to know when to let the play develop and when to strike. Perhaps more important than anything else, he can get to the quarterback in a hurry and put him on the turf. Arkansas is a stopper and an exciting addition to a defense that’s already trending in the right direction.

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Rice Football: Bradley Rozner granted additional eligibility

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Rice football received some good news. Wide receiver Bradley Rozner has two more years of eligibility following a waiver from the NCAA.

The upcoming 2020 Rice football season will not be the final year of eligibility for wide receiver Bradley Rozner. The NCAA has granted him a waiver for an additional year of eligibility beyond 2020. That effectively makes Rozner a redshirt sophomore entering the season ahead. He’ll now have two more years of eligibility rather than just one.

Rozner missed his freshman season with injuries before his breakout “sophomore” campaign in 2018. He led all junior college players in touchdown receptions that year, paving the way for his jump to the next level.

More: Brad Rozner – The Roost’s Rice Football newcomer of the Year 

The lanky wideout was a raw talent when he arrived at Rice. The coaching staff new he had ability, but how it would translate to the D1 level was somewhat of an unknown. Rozner took some time to assimilate, but the growth that began in fall camp continued to progress as the season went on.

He flashed some big play ability in his early games, including 100-yard outings against Wake Forest and Baylor. He caught his first D1 touchdown against UAB and followed it with a score in the Owls’ following game against UTSA.

Then his big day finally came. With Rice still in search of their first victory of the 2019 season, Rozner went off. Against Middle Tennessee No. 2 caught three touchdown passes in the first half, spotting the Owls a sizable lead on the road. Rice would go on to win 31-28, thanks in large part to the eight receptions, three scores and 130 yards racked up by Rozner.

He finished the year with, 55 catches, 770 yards and five touchdowns. He and Austin Trammell should once again be one of the better receiving duos in Conference USA this season. Keeping Rozner for another year in addition to several up-and-coming young receivers is fantastic news for the Rice offense for seasons to come.

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