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Rice Football 2023 Spring Notebook 9: Offensive Takeaways

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The Rice Football offense started slow in the spring but finished strong. Here’s what we learned about that side of the ball.

The offense “won” the 2023 Rice Football Blue and Gray Game, for those that put credence in spring game scoring systems. But regardless of what the scoreboard said, that side of the ball did exhibit plenty of growth from practice 1 to practice 15. Some questions were answered. Others weren’t. Here are 10 closing thoughts on the offense from the totality of the spring.

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1. New additions pay early dividends

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Gardner-Webb transfer Anthony Selden commits to Owls

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The run of Rice basketball recruiting wins in the transfer portal marches on. Gardner-Webb transfer Anthony Selden has committed to the Owls.

On his visit to campus last weekend, Gardner-Webb transfer Anthony Selden felt right at home. A few days later he formalized those feelings into a commitment, becoming part of the newest wave of Rice basketball recruiting successes in the Transfer Portal.

Rice was new to Selden, but there was at least one familiar face, Travis Evee, who played alongside Selden growing up and competed with him in their prep school days. Selden told The Roost that connection played a part in his final decision, but made it clear he’d fallen in love with the program during his recruitment. “The culture of the staff and the players was outstanding and made the decision easy for me,” he said.

Selden marks the third prominent addition to the newest Rice basketball recruiting class from the Transfer Portal in the last several days. Cal transfer forward Sam Alajiki was the first to make his pledge and was soon followed by an announcement from former Vanderbilt guard Noah Shelby. Selden rounds out a robust haul of veteran additions to an already strong core led by Max Fiedler and the aforementioned Evee.

On the court, Selden’s ability to attack from the wing will make Rice better. He can score from multiple levels and isn’t afraid to get vertical and make plays. Having another proven scorer in the fold is always a good thing and he’s already turned in his fair share of highlights, too.

The aspect of his game he’s the most proud of though? It’s the other side of the ball. Selden said he was most proud of his defense. “I feel like that sets me apart from most players because I want to guard the best player day in and day out,” Selden said. At the end of the day, that might end up being the most welcomed aspect of his addition to the Owls ranks.

 

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“Everything’s on the table”: Rice Baseball reeling from sweep by Charlotte

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Rice Baseball gave Charlotte a battle on Friday night but offered little resistance for the rest of the weekend, getting swept at home in painful fashion.

FRIDAY | Charlotte 1 – Rice 0

Rice starter Parker Smith and Charlotte starter Wyatt Hudepohl blazed through their opposing lineups on Friday night, both pitching into the ninth inning and combined to allow just one run (charged to Smith). The time of game (2:17) was reflective of their utter dominance and very few base runners.

Through eight innings, the Owls and 49ers combined for five hits and two walks. Charlotte would eventually break through with a leadoff double in the ninth, eventually turning that into the winning run. Rice had the tying run thrown out at third base in the bottom of the frame, falling 1-0.

SATURDAY | Charlotte 4 – Rice 1

Rice struck first on Saturday, scoring one of their few runs of the weekend in the second inning when Jack Riedel doubled in Aaron Smigelski. The lead barely lasted 15 minutes in real time as Charlotte went ahead in the next half inning, capitalizing on an error by depositing a two-run blast over the left-center wall.

The Rice bullpen fought through some traffic and fared well through 4.2 innings of work, allowing just two hits and two runs. The arms kept Rice in the game, but the bats never got going. Rice would be held to four hits and did not score again for the remainder of the afternoon.

SUNDAY | Charlotte 16 – Rice 2

There was plenty of traffic on the bases in the early innings of getaway day, but no runs, at least through the fourth. That changed in a hurry in the fifth when Rice receiver Matthew Linskey was tagged with three straight doubles before giving way to Cristian Cienfuegos who allowed a walk and then a home run to put Rice in a 5-0 hole.

Following another Charlotte home run in the sixth, the Owls found some offense, tacking on two runs courtesy of a Guy Garibay RBI triple and an RBI single by Manny Garza. Charlotte quickly dampened any hopes for a rally, however, launching a three-run shot in the next frame to take a commanding 9-2 lead before dropping seven more runs on the Owls in the ninth.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Rice baseball wasted another brilliant start from Parker Smith on Friday night, which proved to be an omen of tough tidings ahead as the Owls were swept in a conference series for the first time this season. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. It’s the little things

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ON DECK | at Middle Tennessee (Fri-Sun)

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Rice Football 2023 Spring Practice Notebook 8: Spring Game

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The 2023 Rice Football spring game marked the conclusion of spring practices and several individuals made their marks on Saturday night.

The 2023 RiceFootball Blue and Grey Game was won by the offense, 38-11, and played out in much the same way the spring itself did: a slow start followed by successive improvements. JT Daniels led four scoring drives, three of which came against the first team defense to help set the tone for the offseason. More on Daniels, the offense, the defense and where Rice goes from here.

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JT Joyride

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Vanderbilt transfer Noah Shelby commits to Owls

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The transfer portal continues to be kind to Rice Basketball. Vanderbilt transfer Noah Shelby has committed to the Owls.

It’s been an extremely productive week for Rice basketball recruiting. Days removed from landing a commitment from Cal transfer forward Sam Alajiki, the Owls have beefed up their guard play with an SEC addition. Former Vanderbilt guard Noah Shelby has committed to the Owls.

A 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game Nominee, Shelby is a former 4-star recruit in the 2022 class and the No. 121 player in the country. He spent last season with Commodores coming off the bench but shot 31.1 percent from three and tied a career-best 12 points against Tennessee in January.

A Texas native, Shelby made the decision to enter the portal this offseason and Rice was the first program to come calling. Shelby would eventually end up choosing the Owls over several other Power 5 programs. “I made Rice a priority because they made me a priority,” Shelby told The Roost.

As for skills on the court, Shelby fills an immediate need for Rice basketball, who lost guard Quincy Olivari to the Transfer Portal this offseason. Shelby is a ball handler and a shooter, part of what naturally drew him and the Owls together. Pairing his willingness to shoot with the Owls’ Green Light U mantra makes a lot of sense.

Shelby will be part of the Owls’ inaugural AAC squad, something he says he looks forward to. As for what he brings to Rice, Shelby was emphatic and direct. “I’m committed to winning and I am going to produce on the court,” he said. If he can make shots in bunches like this, he’ll fit right in.

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