The source for Rice sports news

2025-2026 Rice Basketball Season Preview

By

Rob Lanier was tasked with laying the foundation for Rice Basketball a year ago when he arrived on South Main. What’s in store for the Owls in his second season?

Extended rebuilds are no longer a thing in the world of college athletics, but Rice basketball knew they’d be facing more than a one-year reboot when they made the decision to move on from Scott Pera a year ago and hire Rob Lanier. The roster was gutted and Lanier and his new staff scrambled in the portal to rebuild the roster in short order. The results were mixed.

This time around, the Owls did lose players to the portal, like is normative for just about every program these days except for perhaps the upper-tier blue bloods, but the continuity already established has those around South Main more optimistic about what the program might be able to accomplish in Year 2.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Subscriber content. Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

2025-2026 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

By

Fifth-year head coach Lindsay Edmonds leads a Rice women’s basketball squad with high expectations that is looking to rebound from a rocky season a year ago.

The 2025-2026 Rice Women’s Basketball will look to quickly step past what was largely a disappointing season a year ago, one which began with NCAA Tournament aspirations only to end with a middling 17-17 campaign. This time, the year would not be salvaged by a conference tournament run, although the Owls certainly gave it a shot.

No, this season doesn’t come with vocal proclamations or lofty promises. Just work. At the American Conference Tipoff event, Edmonds sported a bracelet with the initials TNT, which stands for “Today, Not Tomorrow.”

In her eyes, focusing on the present will help alleviate some of those stumbles the program has gone through in prior years.

“[We have to be] making sure that we’re taking care of today. When we get to the tournament, we’ll worry about the tournament,” Edmonds said. “But making sure that we’re taking care of each and every day because all those wins are going to matter, all those games are going to matter.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Subscriber content. Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball Recruiting: F Alex Leeth commits to Owls

By

The 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class is off to a strong start. Forward Alex Leeth has committed to the Owls.

The future is bright on South Main, with new talent on the way in the form of an initial wave of commitments joining the 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class in recent weeks. The Owls’ upcoming class added two impact pieces recently, including this 6-foot-7 forward. Alex Leeth has committed to the Owls.

Leeth cut his teeth as a member of the Tennessee Impact and helped lead his high school squad to a 34-2 record last season. A winner with an exciting combination of strength and finesse, it’s not hard to see why his skillset appealed to the Owls’ coaching staff.

He joins guard Jaxson Thompson as the first two commitments in the 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class, giving the program a strong foundation from the high school ranks.

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

Leeth’s versatility and power jump out on film. He’s able to win inside and use his body to create advantageous shots while still threatening opponents as a shooter on the outside. He’ll be able to fill multiple roles for the Owls and should give head coach Rob Lanier flexibility when he designs his rosters and how he wants to rotate different pieces on and off the court.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Jaxson Thompson commits to Owls

By

The first commitment of the 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class is on the board. Guard Jason Thompson has committed to the Owls.

Once head coach Rob Lanier and his staff had retooled the existing roster they were able to turn their attention to the upcoming 2026 Rice Basketball recruiting class in earnest. They scoured the country for the right fits, zeroing in on an elite point guard from just north of Houston. Greenhill School point guard Jaxson Thompson has committed to the Owls.

For Thompson, the decision to come to Rice was an easy one. “The staff made me feel like a priority from the very beginning of the process. When I got on campus for my visit, the coaches and players that I was with made me comfortable. The vibes in the building felt genuine,” he told The Roost. “It was like one big family.”

Thompson picked Rice over offers from George Mason, Holy Cross, New Mexico State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, among others.

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

Stylistically, Thompson dominates as a catch-and-shoot shooter with the quickness and instinctiveness to get to the rim in a hurry if he wants to head downhill instead. He has experience playing multiple guard spots, providing the Owls with an extra level of flexibility. Above all else, he’s a contagious worker.

“I’m most proud of my motor,” Thompson said. “No matter how I’m playing when it comes to making or missing shots, I always make sure to play hard.”

https://twitter.com/jaxsonthompson_/status/1917023657244721312/
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

What’s Next: Rice Athletics and the House Settlement

By

The House Settlement sent shockwaves through college sports. This month’s subscriber Q&A focuses on what it means for Rice Athletics.

College sports won’t be the same as they once were following the House Settlement earlier this summer, which introduces the first organized attempts at direct payments to college athletes. Every university is approaching the changes differently. What is Rice Athletics doing? That overarching curiosity is the foundation for this month’s subscriber Q&A.

Questions were edited briefly for clarity. Want to get your questions answered? Subscribe on Patreon for our monthly mailbag.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Q: Is this good news or bad news for the future of Rice Athletics?

Subscriber content. Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.
Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts