The source for Rice sports news

Rice Basketball 2020: Transfers plunge promising offseason into uncertainty

By

Rice basketball finds itself in a challenging position after losing three players to the Transfer Portal in the span of one week.

The sports news cycle hasn’t slowed down. Even though it’s been more than two weeks since sports of any kind were played, the news has continued to rise to the surface. Not all of it has been positive for Rice basketball.

On Friday, senior Josh Parrish announced he was transferring from the program. Sophomore Trey Murphy followed on Saturday. The dam broke Tuesday when fellow sophomore Drew Peterson also put his name into the Transfer Portal. In the span of less than a week, a promising offseason turned into a painfully bleak new reality.

Rice was already set to lose Ako Adams and Robert Martin to graduation this offseason. Now they’ll have to replace their top-five leading scorers. Absent those five, guard Chris Mullins is the only remaining player on the roster who started more than seven games last season. He averaged 7.3 points.

Murphy said “it was just time for a different opportunity”. Multiple sources have confirmed his suitor list will be vast. The talented shooter has been contacted by Arkansas, Arizona, Arizona State, Cincinnati, DePaul, Iowa State, Stanford, Texas, Wichita State, and Xavier. The allure of playing at the Power 5 level is clear.

More: Erica Ogwumike talks end of season, Rice career on The Roost Podcast

Peterson’s decision was not made in a vacuum. He called his choice to enter the transfer portal “in part, reactionary to [Murphy’s decision]. He added that he loved coach Pera, but it was “time for a new chapter” and that it was a “really hard decision.” Interest in services is heating up quickly. In the days since his announcement, he’s been contacted by Virginia Tech, Stanford, Minnesota, Cincinnati and Creighton, among others.

Roughly two weeks ago I spoke with Owls’ head coach Scott Pera. We had a great conversation, leading to a series of articles on the team and the future he’s trying to build at South Main. “It’s a process, it’s a growth, it’s a vision that now is really, really exciting. We enter Year 4 with this group coming back,” Pera said then. A lot has changed since and that core could be back to square one by the fall.

Pera issued this statement following the transfers:

I’m sorry to see the guys leave. I wish them the best. I’m going to continue to try to find the right guys for Rice, this program and this University as long as I am the head coach.

These losses will hamstring a program that had improved in the win column in every season under Pera. There’s hope for the future, anchored in two successive promising recruiting classes, but the near term just got unequivocally harder.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Baseball 2020: Gleanings from one quarter season

By

Rice baseball is still working to come to terms with a disheartening 2020 season. What hope can be gathered from the Owls’ 2-14 start?

Baseball is, by its very nature, a forgiving sport. Hitters who manage one hit in three trips to the plate are lauded. Pitchers need only get through two-thirds of a game with three runs or fewer to be awarded a “quality start”. All of the stats and measures are accrued over months. That allows for outliers and streaks (both good and bad) to be accounted for. For better or worse, sample sizes are large. Not for Rice baseball in 2020.

The Owls’ season ended with a discouraging 2-14 record. Four weeks after a Valentine’s Day battle with in-state power Texas, Rice has one series win to show for their efforts and many excruciating losses. Rice led second-ranked Texas Tech by four runs twice in their final weekend, but found a way to lose both games. They were bludgeoned at home by Louisiana and swept on the road by UC Irvine.

Outside of a two-of-three series win over Missouri State, there wasn’t much positive in the box scores for Rice in their abbreviated 2020 campaign.

The finality of that gut-wrenching resume is what bothers Rice baseball head coach Matt Bragga the most. “It isn’t how you start, it’s how you finish,” said the second-year skipper. “Now obviously we want to start hot finish hot. That’s what we’re working towards. But right now all we have is a start. We didn’t get the opportunity to finish.”

If Rice proved anything in their first year under Bragga, it was that ability to finish. Some of the Owls’ best baseball transpired in the second half of the season. From March 29th on, Rice swept Old Dominion, Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech. They also took two of three from Southern Miss.

The Roost Podcast: Anthony Rendon and the Rice Athletics Mount Rushmore of the 2010’s

In May they clinched the Silver Glove and won two games in the Conference USA Tournament. The same team that committed eight errors in a February game against Arizona left Biloxi with the best fielding percentage of any team in the conference tournament.

Last season provides no prescriptive effect as to how the 2020 campaign would have gone. But robbing this team of the opportunity to test their resiliency — although the right decision, considering the circumstances — still stings. “This was a club that had a chance to finish pretty darn strong,” remarked Bragga. Unfortunately, we’ll never know for sure.

A brutal schedule, combined with injuries to Roel Garcia, Dalton Wood and Jack Conlon, pushed the already thin pitching staff beyond their capabilities. Good starts were spoiled by an overmatched bullpen. Excellent outings on the mound were wasted by a lineup that could not get the clutch hit, no matter how hard they tried. In all actuality, this was as close to the worst-scenario for the 2020 Rice baseball season as could have been possibly imagined.

Rice was able to show tangible year-over-year improvement with their gloves. Rice was ninth in C-USA with a .965 fielding percentage last season. They improved to sixth this year, fielding at a .969 clip, a hair under Bragga’s self-imposed goal of .970. A 5-error outing against Louisiana was the only truly awful defensive game they played in their 16 contests.

The hitting and the pitching objectively got worse. Injuries and the losses of Matt Canterino and Evan Kravetz hurt the Owls significantly on the mound. The bats weren’t nearly consistent enough.

Bragga hopes to turn that negative into a positive when that small sample size is expanded in 2021. “This team was way better than 2-14,” he said knowingly.

He could be onto something. Simple regression to the mean, a few more bounces in the Owls’ favor in their next 16 games could paint a very different picture. That’s especially true if Rice retains and rejuvenates their injured pitchers and adds what Bragga believes could be the most talented signing class he’s ever constructed.

“As much as it’s overused, it is a process,” Bragga admitted. If we learned anything in 2020, the Owls are closer to square one than the finished product. That’s okay, but it also means there’s plenty more work to do.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

NCAA D1 Council votes for extra year of eligibility for spring-sports

By

The NCAA D1 Council voted in favor of an extra year of eligibility for all spring-sport athletes. Several Rice athletes will get back a season of eligibility.

The biggest story surrounding the future of Rice baseball centered on what would become of the current squad. Suspended roughly a quarter of the way into the 2020 season, the Owls awaited the verdict of the NCAA D1 Council.

Proposals had been thrown around over the last several weeks. The big question was what changes, if any, would be made to ensure the “appropriate” level of relief was granted to spring sport athletes. Now it’s official. The NCAA D1 Council has voted to award an extra year of eligibility to all spring-sport athletes.

https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1244754555591688192

Reports cite a letter written by student-athletes to the NCAA as a contributing factor toward the positive decision.

At South Main, this ruling will presumably have a direct impact on Rice Baseball, Tennis, Golf, Swimming and Track and Field. How it will play out in the coming weeks is less certain.

A key piece in the ruling was the financial burden of these added scholarships. Per a report by The Athletic, schools will have the ability to decide on the level of financial commitment on a per athlete basis. No decision has been reached on how that ruling will be applied at Rice.

At the extreme, that could play out as partial or no scholarship support to players who currently hold full scholarships. The NCAA says the Student Assitance Fund may be used to cover the cost of these scholarships.

More: Erica Ogwumike talks end of season, Rice career on The Roost Podcast

Spring sports operate under much different scholarship requirements than their fall counterparts. The one-athlete to one-scholarship ratio is much less cut and dry in the spring compared to sports like football and basketball.

More details like how these players will be counted regarding roster limitations will be forthcoming. Today, the big decision was made. No Rice baseball player will lose their season. It’s possible the Owls still lose players like Trei Cruz to the draft, but those who want to return will have a spot. The NCAA did the right thing. Read the full release here.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Football Recruiting: New 2021 offers continue through the shutdown

By

It’s been a busy month for the 2021 Rice Football recruiting class. The lack of in-person visits hasn’t slowed the Owls down on the recruiting trail at all.

The coronavirus pandemic has put the sports world in gridlock. The NCAA suspended all in person on-campus and off-campus recruiting through April 15, making adding new members to the class difficult, but not impossible. The 2021 Rice football recruiting class picked up four commitments in the week leading up to the stoppage and has continued to offer targets since in-person recruiting was temporarily halted.

I caught up with several of these players to get their interest on Rice and find out where they’re at in their recruitment process. Here’s a rundown of the names to know at some key positions, many of which have surfaced in the last few weeks.

Quarterback

The shifting dynamics on the recruiting front have impacted the Owls’ quarterback hunt significantly. Rice has altered its strategy to some degree, offering three quarterbacks this week rather than putting all their eggs in one basket. Extending these offers officially puts Rice in the mix for three dynamic signal-callers.

Shawqi Itraish (Bradenton, FL) says he’s been impressed with the consistency and focus of the Owls’ staff when it comes to building a relationship despite the long distance. He hasn’t been on campus yet but would love to as soon as he can.

Lucas Coley (San Antonio, TX) did get the chance to visit and liked what he saw. He said he understands the “40-year decision” that Rice offers and how unique an opportunity it would be to get a high-level degree and play D1 football would be. He likes the staff, but is most looking forward to seeing how the culture translates onto the field this fall. Proving this program is on the upswing is an important factor for him.

Jaylen Henderson (West Hills, CA) rounds out the trio of offered passers. Rice has made sound headwinds in California in recent years, landing Jake Bailey (2019) and Lamont Narcisse (2020). Adding someone with the finesse of Henderson, who can attack defenses both through the air and on the ground, would represent another big out-of-state win for the Owls.

It’s very early in the game for all three of these players. It’s important to note that Rice football recruiting offers are handed out with purpose. Rice would be happy to have any of these three as their cornerstone passer for the 2021 class.

Offensive Line

Rice is going to be in very good position with its 2021 class. Faaenauu Pepe is already in the fold and the response has been overwhelmingly positive from the other targets Rice has offered on the offensive line. Canon Boone (Dickinson, TX) is the newest name to watch right now.

Defensive Line

There’s a good chance Rice keeps their growing pipeline to the Northeast open with Khordae Sydnor. A standout pass rusher from Iona Prep, Sydnor is the No. 5 rated defensive end in the state of New York. Former Iona Prep players Jordan Dunbar and Derek Ferraro play for the Owls right now. Dunbar’s influence has been important for Sydnor as he explores Rice. On the local front, Stone Eby (Flower Mound, TX) has risen up as a target at that position.

On the interior, Bryce Goodner (Athens, TN) is a grown man that can play both ways, although the Owls want him on the defensive side. He’s hoping to get to campus whenever possible. He, Elroyal Morris (Houston, TX), and Grady Kelly (Navarre, FL) were both offered in the last several weeks. Morris was able to get to campus before the break. That seems to have been extremely beneficial in his recruitment.

Tight end

Jaggar Hebeisen (Colleyville, TX) is another prospect that seemed particularly high on the Owls. At the moment, he’s the clear-cut No. 1 target at the tight end position. He’s looking forward to getting on campus as soon as he can, but the shutdown has stretched out his recruitment just like everyone else.

Linebacker

Two of the Owls’ four current commitments play linebacker, so Rice is really starting to narrow their focus here. DJ Arkansas (Denton, TX), Dylan Hazen (The Woodlands, TX) and DJ Brown (Memphis, TN) are the remaining offered players on the Owls’ board at this time.

Arkansas was the first defensive player Rice offered in this class. His stock has continued to rise. It’s possible the shutdown could aid Rice in his recruitment, but we’ll have to wait and see. Brown and Hazen have both seen an uptick in their interest in recent weeks with Hazen picking up an offer from Illinois this week.

Other recruiting notes

Rice did something interesting in their final spring practice. Without knowing it would be their last, head coach Mike Bloomgren flipped the position groups. Running backs did linebacker drills with the defensive coaches. Defensive lineman worked with Bloomgren and new o-line coach Sanders Davis. Prudy Calderon was a quarterback. Wiley Green played defensive back and even made a nifty play on the ball for a leaping interception.

The change made my head spin on the sideline, but the players had a blast. One upperclassman remarked on his way off the field that this was one of the most fun practices he’d ever been a part of at Rice.

Beyond lifting the spirits of the team, the recruits on hand picked up on the energy. Placide Djungu-Sungu (Arlington, TX) and Trevor Woods (Katy, TX) both told me they really enjoyed getting to see everyone playing their opposite roles.

Lastly, one overarching topic that has flown a bit under the radar regarding the 2021 class. SAT and ACT testing has been put on hold, along with everything else. At least for the time being, recruits are riding with whatever their last test score was. Getting the grade is an important first step in the recruiting process. It hasn’t appeared to limit the Owls’ much so far,  but it’s another factor to keep in mind.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

The Roost Podcast | Ep. 26 – Rice Owls Voice JP Heath and 2010s Mount Rushmore

By

The spring Rice Athletics seasons have come to an end, freeing up Rice Owls Voice JP Heath to join the show and talk Rice greats of the past decade.

On a normal evening in late-March, Rice Owls Voice JP Heath would be calling a Rice Baseball game. An NCAA Tournament berth for a hopeful Rice women’s basketball team could have been on the docket, too. With Rice Athletics on hiatus til at least the fall, he joined The Roost Podcast to recap a wild few weeks in sports.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. Last week we talked with Erica Ogwumike. For now, Give a listen to Episode 26.

Episode 26 Notes

  • JP’s journey to Rice — Starting with his days in Commerce, Texas, JP recounts his journey to South Main.
  • Rice Athletics in the 2010s — Starting with his first season on the diamond in 2009, JP’s been around to see coaching transitions for Rice baseball (Wayne Graham to Matt Bragga), Rice basketball (Mike Rhoades to Scott Pera) and Rice football (David Bailiff to Mike Bloomgren). He gives us an overview of how each program has grown through those changes.
  • Rice Athletic’s 2010s Mount Rushmore — We closed the show with a challenging game, with JP, Carter and Matthew working through their Mount Rushmore for Rice Athletes in the 2010s.
    ** Spoiler Alert**
    The final four: Anthony Rendon, Christian Covington, Erica Ogwumike and Sam McGuffie
  • Honorable Mentions — Listen to the show for a long list of honorable mentions. Rice quarterback Taylor McHargue was on the cusp of the final four, narrowly losing out to McGuffie. Was that the right call? Let us know! Send in your 2010’s Mount Rushmore for Rice Athletics below.

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.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts