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Conference USA Basketball 2022: New Year, Non-Conference Roundup

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Conference USA Basketball is just beginning conference play. Here’s where each of the teams stands entering the New Year.

Team Preseason Pick KenPom ’21-’22 Record
Charlotte 7 209 8-5
FAU 9 206 7-6
FIU 13 243 9-4
LA Tech 2 79 11-3
Marshall 4 155 7-7
MTSU 14 200 9-4
North Texas 6 74 8-3
Old Dominion 5 189 6-8
Rice 8 185 7-5
Southern Miss 12 286 3-9
UAB 1 48 12-3
UTEP 10 178 7-6
UTSA 11 306 7-6
WKU 3 106 8-6
Kenpom rankings and standings as of 1/2/2022

Key Storylines

Frontrunners living up to expectation

Louisiana Tech and UAB were the only teams to receive any first-place votes in the league’s preseason poll. While much of the remainder of the conference was a mixed bag, it seemed almost certain that these two squads would be good. So far, that appears to be the case. Both narrowly missed on a handful of Power 5 marquee wins, but they enter conference play relatively unscathed and clear favorites to cut down the nets in Frisco.

True contenders?

That next tier of teams is where things get interesting. North Texas had high hopes following their NCAA Tournament run last season, but the Mean Green did have to do some reloading. They started conference play with a bang, demolishing Rice. They could play a factor in the conference title race if that team shows up night after night.

Western Kentucky and perhaps Marshall might be the only other dark horses remaining. KenPom doesn’t have any other C-USA schools in the top 175 right now. That middle tier featuring teams like rice, Charlotte and MTSU could make for good parity down the stretch.

Make or break

The most telling storyline over the next few weeks could be which teams play themselves out of the hunt early. Southern Miss wasn’t projected to be very good this year. At 3-9 entering conference play, they join Old Dominion as the only two teams that failed to reach C-USA play with at least a .500 non-conference record.

UTSA, UTEP, Rice and FAU all seem like teams that could go either way depending on the night. That could make the next several weekends important for seeding purposes down the line.

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Rice Basketball: Owls ice cold in C-USA opening loss to UNT

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The men’s Rice basketball squad opened conference play on Saturday while the women were delayed. Here’s what we learned from the men’s loss.

Rice Basketball

Rice basketball wasn’t in sync in their return from COVID-19 postponements, falling to North Texas on the road in their first conference game.

Things got off to an innocent enough start for Rice Basketball at the Super Pit on New Year’s Day. The Owls traded baskets with the North Texas Mean Green early and trailed by one-point following a layup from Carl Pierre with 10:52 to go in the first half. Rice would go almost six minutes of game time before their next field goal.

As the Rice offense wilted, North Texas caught fire. The Mean Green went on a 24-6 run from that point onward turning a close game into a blowout before Rice could get their bearings straight. Rice collectively shot a dismal 31.8 percent from the field and made just three of 14 attempts from three.

What they’re saying

“I thought our guys came out and defended well. They executed the game plan defensively. I thought our communication defensively was really good. We just couldn’t get a rebound. (North Texas) is a very good team. They are on their home court. They are tough and well-coached. They played better and deserved to win.”  – Scott Pera on the team’s performance 

Key takeaway

Poor shooting nights happen and we’ve seen enough from this team to know a 21.4 percent outing from deep isn’t likely to become a frequent occurrence. But it wasn’t just bad shooting that turned a tough game into a rout. Rice was gashed on the glass from start to finish.

North Texas outrebounded Rice 56-30. They edged Rice in offensive rebounds 28 to nine. Rice had nine second-chance points. North Texas had 23. The Mean Green shot 39.2 percent from the field — a subpar shooting night — but they made it for it with their aggression on the boards. The shooting will bounce back. Rice absolutely must do something to ensure the rebounding improves with it

Up Next: vs Middle Tennessee – Thursday, Jan. 6 at 7:00 p.m.

Rice Women's Basketball

Rice women’s basketball has yet to begin conference play. Their New Year’s Day contest against North Texas was postponed.

While the men were able to get back to the court on Saturday, the women were unable to open their conference schedule as had been previously scheduled. We detailed more of the unique challenges facing Lindsay Edmond’s club in our December Subscriber Q&A.

Up Next: at Middle Tennessee – Thursday, Jan. 6 at 6:00 p.m.

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Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2021

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2021 was filled with highs and lows for Rice Athletics. The Roost picked out 10 moments that stood out the most along the way.

10. Rice Basketball goes on C-USA Tournament run

For the first time since 2007, Rice basketball won multiple games in the Conference USA Tournament. The Owls beat Southern Miss and knocked off Marshall before falling to UAB. After sneaking into the tournament as the sixth seed in the West, Rice put their best foot forward when it counted the most, building momentum as the team heads into the 2021-2022 season.

9. Owls shine at Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics

The realm of collegiate athletics wasn’t the only area where Rice impressed. The Owls also faired well on one of the world’s greatest stages: the Olympics. Ariana Ince competed in the Tokyo Olympics in the javelin throw. Soon after, Ahalya Lettenberger took home a silver medal in the Paralympic Games.

8. Rice Women’s basketball wins WNIT

It feels like forever ago at this point, but Rice Women’s Basketball marched through the WNIT in March, thumping Ole Miss to win the program’s first-ever WNIT Championship. The roster has changed dramatically since then, but the accomplishments of Tina Langley, Nancy Mulkey and Co. will not be forgotten.

7. Rice Football signs another Top 5 recruiting class

Recruiting has been one of the brightest spots for Rice football under head coach Mike Bloomgren and the most recent 2022 recruiting class appears to be no exception. The Owls took home a Top 5 class in Conference USA and the No. 2 rated class in program history. Each of the last three classes currently ranks in the Top 5 highest-rated classes in school history. More recruiting notes here.

6. Grace Forbes wins C-USA Female Track, XC Athlete of the Year

While track and field might not draw the same spotlight as other collegiate sports, it’s hard not to be transfixed by the level of dominance Grace Forbes has displayed in her young Rice career. Forbes was named C-USA Female Track Athlete of the Year and C-USA Cross Country Athlete of the Year. From start to end, she was the best of the best.

5. Rice baseball hires Jose Cruz Jr. as next head coach

Rice elected to make a change at the top of the baseball program following the 2021 season and athletic director Joe Karlgaard made a splash with the hiring of former Rice great Jose Cruz Jr. Cruz has already made notable additions on the transfer front and increased the visibility of the program within the city and on social media. The 2022 season can’t come soon enough.

4. Rice Soccer upsets WVU in NCAA Tournament

Making the NCAA Tournament is an accomplishment. Winning a game is another. Rice soccer went beyond both bars in their spring season, knocking off 5-seed West Virginia in route to the first Sweet 16 appearance by a Conference USA school since 2011 and tying the program record for wins a season with 14.

3. Rice Volleyball makes NCAA Tournament, twice!

Rice arrived in Omaha in mid-April but had their first NCAA Tournament appearance of the year ended by COVID-19 cases within the program. Undeterred, they bounced back and earned another NCAA bid in their traditional fall season. Finally given the opportunity to compete, Rice beat San Diego in the first round before falling to Texas in the second round.

2. Rice football beats UAB

For the second consecutive season, Rice football won a game as a three-touchdown underdog on the road. In 2020, Marshall was the victim a dominant defensive performance by the Owls. This time around, UAB was caught in the crosshairs of what was indisputably the most complete performance by all phases in the 2021 season with team-favorite Wiley Green at the helm.

1. Rice Athletics accepts AAC invite

The giant of conference realignment awoke during the summer when Texas and Oklahoma announced moves to the SEC. That decision sent ripple effects across college athletics all the way to Houston, Tx where Rice Athletics was invited to join the American Athletic Conference. The Owls don’t have a date when the move becomes official yet, but the announcement itself is a massive moment in Rice Athletics history.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Cutting this down to 10 was challenging. Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

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Rice Basketball navigates COVID-19 — December 2021 Patreon Q&A

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Both Rice basketball programs have missed multiple games because of COVID-19 issues. Is there an end in sight?

It’s been a quiet month on the court for Rice basketball. COVID-19 issues within both the men’s and women’s programs have forced both squads to cancel multiple games. Is there an end in sight? What’s next for both teams? We’ll provide some updates below.

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Rice Basketball: COVID-19 issues force MBB, WBB cancelations

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COVID-19 related issues within both the men’s and women’s programs have forced all Rice basketball games this weekend to be canceled.

The women were set to visit Texas A&M on Sunday while the men would have hosted Saint Thomas.

Here are the official statements from Rice Athletics:

On Rice women’s basketball:

The Rice women’s basketball game at No. 23 Texas A&M scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 19 has been canceled due to COVID-19 related issues within the Rice program.

Rice has one more scheduled non-conference game set for Wednesday, Dec. 29 when they host Texas College at 6 p.m. from Tudor Fieldhouse.

On Rice men’s basketball:

Rice Basketball’s home game against St. Thomas, originally scheduled for Sunday, December 19, has been postponed due to COVID issues within the Owls’ program.

The teams will look to reschedule at a later date.

Rice currently holds a 7-4 record and is on a three-game winning streak.

What does this mean going forward?

First and foremost, our best wishes go out to all the impacted players and personnel and hope for a swift recovery for all. On the basketball side of things, these cancelations offer a warning of what may be in store for college basketball over the next several weeks.

On the men’s side, the roster is robust and has already shown an ability to play through injuries. Losing out on a nonconference game against St. Thomas will cause a delay in court time that isn’t ideal, but the impact on the season as a whole seems fairly minimal at this point. Rescheduling was mentioned as an option in the official statement.

More: 2022 Rice Football recruiting updates

On the women’s side, this further emphasizes the fragility of the current roster. The Owls did sign the No. 1 recruiting class in Conference USA, but they won’t be on campus until next season. That leaves this team with a very thin lineup that won’t be able to withstand much in the way of injuries or COVID-19 complications. The margin for this team will be razor thin.

COVID-19 challenges are currently impacting the full range of professional sports, too. This is not an isolated incident. If things continue to persist, there could be more delays and cancelations, reminiscent of where things were last year at this time. Hang in there. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

UPDATE 12/20:

The men’s game against Texas has also been postponed.

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