Rice basketball has its third commitment of the 2025 recruiting class. Forward Evan Cochran from Houston has committed to the Owls.
Tuesday was a good day to be an Owl. The 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class tripled in size, building on an initial pledge from guard Cameron Carroll from South Grand Prairie the Owls added a pair of new commitments, including a big one from forward Evan Cochran from The Village School right here in Houston, Texas.
Cochran picked Rice over a growing list of interested suitors. He had offers from Wichita State, Nevada, George Mason, Marshall, UTSA and others before deciding he wouldn’t be going very far from home at all to play his college ball.
“I really felt like the academic part of Rice was a fit for me, as well as the great coaching staff, the community, the campus, and more,” Cochran told The Roost. “I love the style of play Coach Lanier likes to play with, as it fits how I play the game as a player. I was impressed with the connection the coaches had with each other as well as with the players.”
Standing 6-foot-8, Cochran brings some size and physicality to a class that started with shooters. That’s something he says values highly and hopes to bring with him to campus.
“I take a lot of pride in rebounding and defense, which is especially something I improved on a lot over the summer,” he said. “Playing on the PRO16 circuit allowed me to compete with the best big men in the country and hold my own against them with defense and rebounding.
Cochran comes on board the same day as guard Boden Howell. Along with the aforementioned Carroll, the 2025 class now sits at three members, all from the high school ranks.
More: Rice Basketball 2024 Roster Tracker
It’s one thing to be big, lots of athletes have that going for them. It’s another to be able to use that size to your advantage which is something that sticks out when you turn on Cochran’s film. He looks comfortable on the court and is aware of how to position himself for maximum impact as both a shooter and a rebounder, a strong foundation as he grows into the collegiate player head coach Rob Lanier and staff believe he will be.
