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The Roost Podcast | Ep 71 – 2020 Season and WandaVision with Christian Covington

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Former Rice football defensive lineman Christian Covington returns for his third podcast appearance to recap his NFL season and discuss WandaVision.

This week’s edition of The Roost Podcast synced up well with the final episode of Marvel’s new show, WandaVision. Naturally, we had to bring on former Rice football player and current Marvel super fan Christian Covington.

We had a lot to catch up on since Covington had last joined the show. He talks about what it was like to be traded the week before the season started, how he’s adjusted to life in Cincinnati and what it was like playing football in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. The last time Covington was on, we drafted and debated every Marvel movie. If you’re an MCU fan, be sure to check that episode out. Then give a listen to Episode 71.

Episode Notes

  • Housekeeping
    • Plan on hearing more from The Roost Podcast in your feed every other week as we continue our interview series. We’ll have some returning guests and hopefully a few new Owls to talk with over the next few months.
    • Please support us on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes spring football practices, currently underway.
      Become a Patron!
  • Christian Covington joins the show to discuss…
    • Being traded a week before the season
    • The challenges of playing for a new team amidst COVID-19 protocols
    • SPOILERS: WandaVisions thoughts and reactions
    • Future Marvel productions on the way

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

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Fiedler, Olivari push Rice Basketball past Marshall in C-USA Tourney upset

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For the first time in 14 years, Rice basketball has won multiple conference tournament games. On Wednesday, the Owls upset Marshall.

Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera cracked a smile and said all the right things following his first Conference USA Tournament win on Tuesday over Southern Miss. In the midst of debriefing the win and discussing its significance as a building block for the program, Pera gave a sneak peek of what the Owls had prepared for their encore.

Tasked with upsetting the heavily favored Marshall Thundering Herd, Pera was fairly bold. “I don’t think the Marshall can guard Max [Fiedler] on the block,” he said, catching himself with a measured, “but we’ll see.”

The emphasis on Fiedler was clear from the start. Rice was overtly focused on feeding their big man inside, so much so that tipped passes became turnovers. But the Owls settled down and Fiedler settled in, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Pera chuckled post-game. “Every once in a while I get one right,” he mused.

Read More: Rice Football spring practice notebook – Week 1

That right call proved pivotal. Fiedler’s impact was felt the most at the onset of the second half. He made three consecutive shots from close range, turning a deadlocked game into a six-point Rice advantage.

“It’s a big difference for us in the last couple of years,” Pera said cheerily. “It’s different when it’s your 6-foot-10 guy who can pass like that too. Because teams can’t double him. We hope teams double him because we know we’re gonna get a wide-open shot.”

After that early burst, Fiedler’s scoring game way those shooters. Quincy Olivari has 23 points. Travis Evee, who only scored nine, contributed a crucial triple that helped extend what became an 11-2 Owls’ run.

Marshall hit their own flurry of threes down the stretch, but Rice hit their free throws to survive and advance. On Thursday they’ll play their third game in three days, something they never were asked to do in the regular season. Their depth will be tested, but Pera maintains they’re a ways from being out of gas.

“There is no thought in my mind besides tomorrow at six o’clock,” Pera said. “We will throw the kitchen sink, do whatever we need to do. We’ll play everybody, whatever we need to do. And if we’re fortunate enough to get by, we’ll figure it out from there.”

Pear held his cards a little closer to the vest this time around. How will the Owls attack the Blazers on Thursday? We’ll find out soon enough. One thing’s for certain, Rice won’t go down without a fight. Olivari said it best when recapping the win: “When everybody’s rolling, it’s hard to guard us.”

Rice basketball is scheduled to play UAB at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow on ESPN+.

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Rice Basketball 2021: Owls close strong, advance past Southern Miss

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Rice basketball picked up its first Conference USA Tournament win under head coach Scott Pera, beating Southern Miss in a defensive struggle.

The beginnings of the only game of the preliminary round of the Conference USA Tournament didn’t look like most of the other games Rice basketball has played this season. The Owls made just one three-point attempt in the first half and newly minted C-USA Newcomer of the Year Travis Evee had no points.

Yet Rice still led.

“I know we shoot a lot of three,” head coach Scott Pera remarked following the win, “but we gotta get past that. We gotta defend every night for 40 minutes, because we’re not always going to shoot it great.”

Winning when the shots don’t fall has been a struggle for this team. So to see Rice start uncharacteristically cold, but take a 27-20 edge at the break was noteworthy. Southern Miss shot 32 percent from the field in the first half, with only 10 of their 20 points coming from outside the paint.

The Golden Eagles would adjust and punch back, reclaiming the lead early on in the second half and holding in for more than 10 minutes. But when Ege Havsa hit a crucial three to give Rice the lead with 4:28 to go, the Owls never looked back.

Read More: Rice Football spring practice notebook – Week 1

Rice would close the game on a 16-3 run. The shots started to fall, but it was the same defense that gave Southern Miss fits early that put the game away. In Pera’s own estimation, the Owls “were locked in defensively from the very first possession to the final buzzer.” And it showed.

Southern Miss did not record a field goal in the final six minutes of regulation, something Pera couldn’t recall happening anytime recently in the hundreds of games he’s coached. When that buzzer did sound, Pera and the Owls surpassed an important milestone. The win marked the first C-USA conference tournament of Pera’s tenure, something he called “another barrier we needed to knock down.”

Rice basketball has the chance to turn this small step into a bigger leap on Wednesday night against Marshall. The Owls and Thundering Herd had been previously scheduled to meet this season, but the games were canceled due to COVID-19 issues among the Owls’ program. Rice will be the underdog, but they won’t be deterred.

“It’s a big challenge for us,” Pera said. “But it’s March. We’re still playing and we’re happy and we’re excited.” And, as if to quell any doubts about the team’s ability to rise up once again, Pera was clear. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us,” he said. “We’re going to prepare. Our kids are going to be ready. And we’re going to go out there and let it fly. I know that.”

Rice basketball is scheduled to play Marshall at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow on ESPN+.

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2021 Conference USA Basketball Tournament: Men’s and Women’s Previews

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The 2021 Conference USA Basketball Tournament tips off in Frisco, TX on Monday. Here’s a preview of the action.

Conference USA Basketball – Men’s Tournament

The Favorite: Western Kentucky

The No. 1 seed for a reason, Western Kentucky is the clear favorite to cut down the nets. Charles Bassey will be the best player on the court whenever the Tops play and the supporting cast is equally as impressive and experienced.

The Contender: Louisiana Tech

Although they received less fanfare than Western Kentucky along the way, Louisiana Tech won a divisional title as well. Kenneth Lofton and Isaiah Crawford, both of whom somehow were only named to the All-Conference Third Team and not higher, are a formidable tandom capable of taking down anyone — even WKU.

The Sleeper: North Texas

One of the best defensive teams in the conference, North Texas can win ugly. When they’re in a rhythm and Javion Hamlet is making his shots, they’re a tough out. If anyone’s making out of the “first round”, the Mean Green might have a decent shot.

Conference USA Basketball – Women’s Tournament

The Favorite: Rice

Rice has lost four conference games in their last three seasons. They’ve proven themselves to be mortal, but it’s hard to pick anyone to beat them outright. Led by Nancy Mulkey and a deep bench, the Owls’ defense has led them to three consecutive regular-season conference titles. They enter 2021 as the defending tournament champions after last season’s event was halted after the first round.

The Contender: Middle Tennessee

Despite the run of success from Rice, Middle Tennessee was picked to win the conference in the preseason polls. The two teams never met in the regular season. Could they meet in the Tournament? Led by 26.8 points per game from Anastasia Hayes, the Blue Raiders can run up the score quickly.

The Sleeper: Marshall

Marshall was far from the most consistent team this season, but they earned a unique distinction in the final weeks of the regular season. They won games against Rice and Middle Tennessee, something no other team in Conference USA can claim. Sometimes tournaments are all about getting hot at the right time. If Marshall can beat those two teams, they’ve got the ammo to beat just about anyone else.

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Rice Baseball: Owls finish 1-2 at 2021 Shriners Classic

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Rice baseball picked up one win at the Shriners Classic, a bright spot in an up-and-down weekend for the Owls.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

1. Better at the top … still getting there at the bottom

Rice baseball had a top-heavy lineup last year but was supposed to be more balanced in 2021 with the influx of a strong recruiting class. There’s no doubt the lineup is better than it was, but there’s still some work to do.

The Owls had two players finish the shortened 2020 season with a batting average better than .280. Shortstop Trei Cruz, now in the Detroit Tigers system, was one of two regulars with an OPS better than .750.

This year seven players are batting .280 or better. Six have an OPS better than .750. Justin Dunlap and Guy Garibay, two of the Owls’ most productive hitters so far this season, have only seen limited action. The top half is going to be good.

Finding production from the 7-8-9 spot might be what stands between this offense being good and taking the next step to great. Saturday’s 16 run outburst was a positive development. But Sunday’s quick recession was a sobering reminder things are still a work-in-progress.

2. Still searching for reliable pitching

A true shutdown option out of the bullpen hasn’t risen to the surface quite yet. The Owls have a stable of talented arms that can throw with velocity, but many of them are still young with room to grow into their roles on South Main. What Rice needs are a few key arms they can turn to in a bind and get outs.

Dillon Janac threw another scoreless inning on Saturday and tossed his hat into the ring. He and Dalton Wood have had multiple outings without having any runs charged against them. Reed Gallant was in that conversation too, prior to Sunday’s outing. But after that, the bullpen has been hit and miss.

Look for a guy like Brandon Deskins to bounce back, but it’s also possible we still haven’t seen some of the guys who will throw some important innings once conference play arrives.

3. Halfway to C-USA play

There’s no way to ensure Rice baseball will play every game as scheduled from here onward, but as things currently stand the Owls are halfway through conference play. They’ve outdone themselves in the win column compared to last season, but that wasn’t a very tall mountain to climb. To date, they’re more or less beaten who they should beat and fallen to teams that project to be better than them.

They’ll have a good mix of opponents over the next few weeks, ending with a four-game weekend series against Southern and a midweek road trip to Texas A&M. This team needs a jolt, either through a notable upset of the Aggies or an emphatic weekend outing. They’ll have opportunities. They need to take advantage of them.

If there were a few key objectives to sort out of the next two weeks, they’d include formalizing the weekend rotation, identifying two to three “shut down” options out of the bullpen and finding better production with runners in scoring position. Those are some big asks, but none of those items seem to be an insurmountable challenge.

THE PLAY BY PLAY

FRIDAY | Sam Houston 12 – Rice 4

Head coach Matt Bragga made the move to rotation forward one day, throwing Blake Brogdon on Friday. The plan was twofold: get one step closer to Roel Garcia being the Friday guy and have a better start on the mound during the weekend.

Brogdon had his moments but was fairly shaky. He left midway through the fifth inning with three runs charged against him. Brandon Deskins would allow a pair of inherited runners to score, putting Rice in a 5-2 hole from which they never recovered. Guy Garibay and Bradley Gneiting homered, but the Owls lost 12-4.

SATURDAY | Rice 16 – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 5

Rice entered their Saturday tilt with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi averaging five runs per game. They surpassed that number in the fourth and sixth innings alone, ending the afternoon with 16 runs on 16 hits, both season highs. The game after seven-innings by a tournament run rule.

Justin Dunlap went deep. Bradley Gneiting, Antonio Cruz, Will Karp and Justin Long all had three-hit days. Starting pitcher Roel Garcia allowed five runs in five innings, far from his best day in the office, but battled to keep his team in the game before the offense caught fire and won the day.

SUNDAY | Texas State 9 – Rice 1

Reed Gallant encountered some early trouble in the tournament finale, allowing three runs before catching an early hook in favor of Mitchell Holcomb, who failed to stem the bleeding. That 7-0 run put a damper on any remaining elation from the run-rule victory the day prior.

Braden Comeaux stole a run back on a ground out in the seventh, but Texas State got it right back. Guy Garibay made his collegiate pitching debut and picked up two strikeouts, but it was a rather underwhelming night for both the bats and the arms.

ON DECK | Rice Baseball vs Houston Baptist (Tues) and weekend tournament with Northern Illinois and Kansas State (Fri-Sun).

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