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Rice Basketball goes 2-1 at Nassau Championship

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Rice Basketball went 2-1 in their three-game set at the Nassau Championship in the Bahamas, falling to Hofstra before beating Arkansas State and Iona.

Hofstra 68, Rice 63

The Story

Hofstra jumped out to an early 18-9 lead, staying at least a couple of buckets ahead of Rice for the duration of the first half. It was in the second frame that Rice made its run, forcing one of 11 lead changes in the contest which eventually went to overtime which was also tied with a minute remaining in that period. Hofstra would score the final five points to hold on in a hard-fought contest.

Rice 75, Arkansas State 67

The Story

Arkansas State got on the board first and maintained a narrow advantage over Rice throughout much of the first half before a Jacob Dar three, his first as an Owl, put Rice in front going into halftime. Arkansas State would retake the lead early in the second half on a 7-0 run, but clutch free throw shooting — the Owls had a season-high 39 foul shots — and strong defense helped propel Rice back in front for good.

Rice 70, Iona 66

The Story

The largest lead for either side in this game was seven. Despite those tight margins, Rice felt like it had every chance to run away with the game early. Two 5-0 runs a 6-0 run and a 7-0 run in the first half were mitigated by Rice turnovers and a lackluster day on the boards. Iona continued to fight back, getting with one point with 2:23 to play. Rice scored six of the final nine points of the game, putting things away with four free throws from Trae Broadnax in the final seconds.

What We Learned

For those who might have pushed it out of their minds, Rice basketball was picked to finish dead last in the American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. So much about the program was unknown given the coaching change and the reworked roster.

Rice played well in their early slate, starting the season 6-1, falling only to Florida State (Kenpom 58). This week’s Nassau Championship offered another measuring stick — three games against programs all picked to finish in the top four in their respective leagues. The Owls passed with high marks.

Arkansas State (116) was the preseason favorite in the Sun Belt. Rice beat them. The also beat Iona (252), picked third in the MAAC and took Hofstra (163), a top four pick in the CAA, to overtime. At the very least, the Owls proved they belong in that top 150ish conversation. Indeed, they check in at 164 in Kenpom after the conclusion of the tournament.

By Kenpom, Rice ranks ninth in the AAC. They’re a far cry from the top of the ladder — Memphis (31) and North Texas (66) are clearly in a different class right now — but they’re squarely in the mix. Roughly one month into Rob Lanier’s first season on campus, it’s hard to ask for much more than this.

“We just played with some resolve and found a way to win a game,” Lanier said following the Arkansas State win. “We played with a level of desperation, and I’m proud of the guys that we were able to overcome that.”

The team is playing cohesively with a clear defensive identity. The offense has shown flashes. The free throw struggles of the early portions of the season weren’t a problem in clutch moments in the Bahamas. And we still haven’t seen this team truly turn in a dominant offensive performance which the sum of these parts suggest is coming, at some point.

A good week or two might have been easier to right off. We’ve reached the one month mark of consistent quality basketball from Lanier’s bunch. This team looks to have some staying power. And with conference play looming, it’s reasonable to continue adjusting those preseason expectations ever so slightly upward as the season presses onward.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 14 Roundup

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AAC Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army10-1 (8-0)vs UTSAW, 29-24vs Tulane
Charlotte5-7 (4-4)vs UABW, 29-27 —
ECU7-5 (5-3)vs NavyL, 34-20 — Bowl —
FAU3-9 (1-7)at TulsaW, 63-16 —
Memphis10-2 (6-2)at TulaneW, 34-24 — Bowl —
Navy8-3 (6-2)at ECUW, 34-20 — Bowl —
North Texas6-6 (3-5)at TempleW, 24-17— Bowl —
Rice4-8 (3-5)vs USFW, 29-24 —
Temple3-9 (2-6)vs North TexasL, 24-17 —
Tulane9-3 (7-1)vs MemphisL, 34-20at Army
Tulsa3-9 (1-7)vs FAUL, 63-16 —
UAB3-4 (2-6)at CharlotteL, 29-27 —
USF6-6 (4-4)at RiceL, 35-28 — Bowl —
UTSA6-6 (4-4)at ArmyL, 29-24 — Bowl —

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Tulane’s CFB Playoff hopes dashed

The lone college football game on Thanksgiving Day featured a tough result for the AAC. Memphis’ victory over Tulane effectively ended any dark horse hopes of the Green Wave earning the G5 automatic berth in the College Football Playoff. A 10-win season for the Tigers is significant, but no conference title game appearance will still leave a sizable portion of the fanbase understandably frustrated.

Abell arrives at South Main while Harrell stays put in Greenville

In the past week, the American Conference has welcomed two new head coaches. ECU made the decision to promote interim head coach Blake Harrell after a 4-0 run start in place of Mike Houston. At Rice, the Owls opted for Davidson’s Scott Abell whose proven track record at hard jobs gives reason for hope in Houston.

North Texas is bowling

After missing a bowl game with a 5-7 finish in Year 1 under Eric Morris the Mean Green are bowl eligible this time around, narrowly beating Temple in their regular season finale. The victory snaps a five game losing streak after a 5-1 start to the season.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Army chases AAC Perfection vs Tulane

The Black Knights became the eighth team in AAC history to finish undefeated in conference play, a feat most recently achieved by Tulane and SMU in 2023. As a reward they’ll host the conference championship game set to be played next Friday night, December 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Who’s next?

With Rice and East Carolina filled, four open head coaching jobs remain among American Conference programs following the conclusion of the regular season. Charlotte, FAU, Temple and Tulsa have yet to name new head coaches. Expect those jobs to fill soon, particularly with the Early Signing Period beginning this week.

Army/Navy on deck

But wait, there’s more! Even though this will technically be a non-conference game, the first meeting between Army and Navy as American Conference teams will feature two of the conference’s top teams this season. It doesn’t look like this game will have any College Football Playoff ramifications after all, but the intensity and interest in this contest hasn’t waivered all year.

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Rice Football tops South Florida on Senior Day

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Rice Football sent its seniors out on a high-note, sailing past South Florida in the Owls’ most uplifting win of the 2024 season.

Playing together for one last time, Rice Football ended its 2024 campaign victoriously. The typically slow starting squad scored a season-high 35 points against an FBS opponent and racked up a season-best 550 yards while snuffing out the South Florida offense until the game was out of reach. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

The offense awakens

The Rice football offense has been an adventure this season for a variety of reasons. Up and down quarterback play, a listless running game and an infuriating number of fruitless redzone possessions has left the Owls wanting on the scoreboard more games than not. Determined to rectify at least some of those frustrations with the scoreboard, the Rice offense brought the fireworks on Saturday afternoon.

Warner got the scoring started with a crisp 31-yard touchdown pass to Drayden Dickmann, his first collegiate touchdown grab. Quinton Jackson followed with a 12-yard run of his own. Then Tim Horn added three more points on a short field, courtesy of a fumble recovery on a short field. And that was all before the first quarter came to a close.

Rice had scored 34 points in the first quarter in seven AAC games this season before Saturday. They had 17 first quarter points against South Florida. After failing to surpass more than 29 points in a game against an FBS opponent this year, Rice dropped 27 points in the first half, highlighted by this gorgeous toss from Warner to Dean Connors which elevated the senior to the program leader for receiving yards by a running back.

It wasn’t just Connors with the big day. Warner delivered a season-best showing, his first 400-yard gain with the Owls. Matt Sykes topped 100 receiving yards for the first time in his career. Thai Bowman scored his first career touchdown. Across the board, this unit was finally clicking.

Had this caliber of offense shown up more frequently this season the year would have gone much differently. There’s no rewriting the past at this point, though. At least fans at Rice Stadium on Saturday were treated to a thrilling sendoff for the Owls’ Seniors.

The defense holds the line

A newfound productive offense combined with the Owls’ typically stout defense proved to be quite a potent combination. Rice allowed USF to march down the field on their first drive, ceding a 10-play 75-yard touchdown drive. USF would register 56 total yards for the rest of the first half. That’s a 7.5-yards-per-play clip followed by a quick drop to 3.1 yards per play.

USF quarterback Bryce Archie was able to complete a good chunk of his passes, connecting on 8-of-13 attempts in the first half, but outside of one long 42-yard completion down the sideline, everything was close to the line of scrimmage and quickly covered up by a swarming Rice secondary. Max Ahoia’s forced fumble was just one instance of a secondary that played with a noticeable level of intensity.

The Bulls would get another sustained scoring drive to start the second half but when it came to mounting sustained scoring drives in the middle of the action they never got into a groove. It seemed like every time they came close, a Rice defender showed up with a big play, including a masterful interception from Gabe Taylor midway through the third quarter.

The day featured two defensive takeaways and three sacks, including Andrew Awe’s first career sack in his final game. It was an emphatic finale for the veteran-led unit which has been the most reliable force on this team all season.

Special teams does just enough

Two missed field goals (from 41 and 39 yards, respectively) and a couple of penalties on kick returns kept it from being a banner day for the Rice football special teams, but the unit certainly held its own on a day when its counterparts on offense and defense delivered impressive performances of their own.

Kicker Tim Horn converted from 25 yards out on two separate occasions, but a kick that ricocheted off the post in the third quarter killed what had been a 100 percent red zone conversion rate on the day to that point, a rate the Owls have only finished with once in an AAC game this season.

Quinton Jackson had an explosive opening kickoff return called back via a block in the back. Then he did it again in the third quarter, with no flags this time. Christian Francisco fielded a low, bouncing kick and took it 45 yards back to USF territory. All told, it was a workable performance from the special teams unit and a decent way to end an up-and-down campaign from that group.

The end of an era

In the whirlwind that has consumed the last week, it’s been hard to fully appreciate how different Rice football is going to look in 2025. The coaching change plays a large role in that upcoming change, but the impact of the outgoing senior class will play a sizable role in those developments, too.

Rice honored those seniors before the game on Saturday, a feat which required half the field to do. So many different players poured four, five and some six years into building this program from the bottom to where it is today. They didn’t fully realize that expected apex, but their contributions were each significant

That totality sank in earlier this week when I sat down with Gabe Taylor, who fought back tears when asked to describe this game and this moment. “It means everything,” he said. “I would trade them for the world, this family. It’s so genuine. They’re awesome guys… They’re my family forever.”

They didn’t win them all, but after a rocky season, this family went out on a much-deserved high note.

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Rice Women’s Basketball splits at Cancun Challenge

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Rice Women’s basketball split their two-game set at the Cancun Challenge, falling to BYU in the opener before blasting Vermont in the second game.

BYU 63, Rice 51

The Story

Rice got off to a strong start, opening up a 12-5 first quarter lead as BYU struggled to find its footing. The Cougars woke up and finished the half on a 26-10 run, opening up a gap the Owls would be unable to close. BYU would lead by as many as 17 points, comfortably holding on to the lead with the exception of a brief third quarter rally from Rice to get back within seven.

Rice 79, Vermont 57

The Story

Vermont jumped out to an early lead in this one but it was the Owls’ turn to turn up the intensity on offense. Rice rallied from a five-point first quarter deficit to take a six point lead at half. Then they opened the floodgates, exploding for a 16-0 run in the third quarter to bury the Catamounts. The Owls led by as many as 28 points, cruising to a big win to close out their trip to Cancun.

What We Learned

It was truly a tale of two games. In the opener against BYU, Rice women’s basketball endured their worst shooting performance of the season. They followed it up with their best shooting day from the floor. The contrast between these two games serves as a fitting reminder of the team’s volatility and the growth needed for the Owls to reach the level of a premier program.

At their best, Rice women’s basketball is capable of competing with many top teams. The key challenge now is finding consistency and building on those strong performances. While this may seem like nitpicking, it’s the standard that has been set by head coach Lindsay Edmonds, who continues to hold her program to high expectations.

“I’ve known all season that we were capable of hitting the three at a very high volume and just been waiting for it to happen,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said following the Vermont win. “For us to be able to come out here tonight after what happened last night and have the focus to put the ball in the hole, probably when we needed it the most.”

Last year’s AAC Tournament run was proof the version of the Owls that showed up against Vermont could show up four days in a row. The next step might be finding the version of this team that played against Houston and being that team every single day. Rice didn’t shoot the lights out in that game, but they played well. The defense was consistent and strong.

The defense has been solid. The shooting has ebbed and flowed. To some extent, that’s basketball, but the Owls would probably tell you they’ve left points on the court they should have knocked down.

If Rice can make that strong version of itself the floor. They’re going to be really hard to beat. They don’t need to be the team that smacked Vermont every day — although that’s always within the range of outcomes. They need to be the team that has less off days and consistently does the little things well. And then they get to add Malia Fisher back to the mix in the coming weeks.

That’s the recipe for success this season.

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Rice Football: Behind enemy lines with a USF Insider

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USF is next up on the 2024 Rice football schedule so we’re going behind enemy lines with Bulls’ insider Seth Varnadore from the Bay Area Examiner.

Bulls’ insider Seth Varnadore was kind enough to stop by and answer a few questions about the upcoming matchup between Rice Football and USF. The answers below should shed some light on the Owls’ upcoming opponent.

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