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2020-2021 Rice Basketball Season Preview

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The 2020-2021 Rice basketball team is full of new faces. Offseason transfers forced another reboot. Can the Owls adjust quickly and fly on?

For better or worse, Rice basketball was one of the few Conference USA basketball teams that determined their own fate last March before the COVID-19 pandemic swept in and prematurely ended sports midseason. Rice lost in the C-USA Tournament the day before everything was shut down. Since then, it’s been a tough road.

Rice lost Ako Adams and Robert Martin, two valuable pieces, to graduation. Several others transferred. Players like Trey Murphy and Drew Peterson, though to be the future of the program, left amidst the sudden offseason lull. Who steps up and what this next iteration of Rice basketball will look like form the framework of what is sure to be an intriguing season.

The Coach – Scott Pera

Scott Pera has fought through adversity time and time again as the Owls’ head coach. His arrival was met with an exodus of key players. Further transfers continue to challenge his roster and his moral, but he’s adjusted, leaning further into the Transfer Portal himself.

After winning seven games in his first season, he’s improved on that total in each subsequent year, winning 13 games in Year 2 and 15 last season. Eclipsing a .500 record, especially given the circumstances, would be a commendable achievement.

Last Season Snapshot

Following a wake-up call in their season opener, a one-sided loss to Arkansas on the road, Rice strung together a rather impressive non-conference run. The Owls beat UC Santa Barbara, Liberty and East Carolina but couldn’t avoid a few head-scratching losses along the way to Lamar and Sam Houston.

Conference play was less kind. Rice won just one of their first 10 games in C-USA play (home against FIU). They rallied to win six of their final nine to clinch a spot in the conference tournament, where they fell to FIU to end their season.

Key Question

How quickly can this rebuilt roster gel? Graduation and transfers wiped out the majority of the Owls’ core contributors for a year ago. Pera’s new-look team will ask younger players to carry bigger loads and newly added pieces to be integrated quickly. It’s not an impossible task, but so much change in such a short window of time, compounded by the challenges of COVID-19 are going to make it challenging.

The Schedule

Rice Basketball Marquee Games and Key Dates

Nov. 27, 2020 – Season opener at Thanksgiving Invitational vs Incarnate Word
Dec. 3, 2020 – Home opener vs LeTourneau
Dec. 12, 2020 – Owls visit Houston at the Fertitta Center
Jan. 1, 2020 – Conference USA home opener vs UTSA
Jan. 8, 2020 – Conference USA first road game vs UTEP
Mar. 10, 2020 – Conference USA Tournament

You can find the complete 2020-2021 Rice basketball schedule here.

Key Returners

Chris Mullins, Guard (Jr.)

Mullins is the only returning player who started at least a dozen games for Rice last season. After a strong freshman campaign, the scoring dipped a bit last season as his shooting consistency wained and others came to his aid. Last year he averaged 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He’ll be asked to step up further in 2020 and beyond.

Payton Moore, Guard (Jr.)

Moore was a key bench piece last season and was one of only four players to play in all 32 games. He was consistently the Owls’ sixth man, coming in quickly and playing meaningful minutes when the team needed him most. He averages 4.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. His experience as the first man off the bench is valuable and could play into how he’s used this coming season.

Quincy Olivari, Guard (So.)

Olivari saw flashes of action early in the season but really started to develop as the year progressed. He played more than 16 minutes in a game for the first time on Jan. 16 against Louisiana Tech, the Owls 16th game. From that point on, he averaged 17.1 minutes played and 6.1 points per game. His star is just beginning to shine.

Max Fiedler, Forward (So.)

It looked like Fiedler would be a staple in the Owls’ rotation early on last season, but his utilization dipped significantly when the team reached conference play. He appeared in just seven games against C-USA opponents, never playing more than 11 minutes. Even with the limited time on the court, he racked up 13 blocks, second-most on the team.

Malik Ondigo, Forward (Jr.)

Update: Head coach Scott Pera said Ondigo is currently not with the team due to personal reasons.

Ondigo signed with the Owls last summer after spending the prior two seasons at Texas Tech. He appeared in 32 games for the Red Raiders before transferring to Rice. After sitting out last season due to transfer rules, his impact should be significant. Having someone with his size (6-foot-10, 215) and power seems to suggest a more consistent interior presence for Rice on both ends of the court.

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Key Additions

Tre Clark, Guard (Gr.) – Furman transfer. Had career-highs in rebounds (101), assists (38) and steals (32) last season. Appeared in 86 games over the past four seasons. Veteran presence for young team.

Cavit Ege Havsa, Guard (Gr.) – Played at Fordham and Utah Valley State and previously for the U20 Turkish National Team. Should provide an experienced shooting presence from the outside.

Travis Evee, Guard (So.) – Potential difference-maker at point guard who transferred from VMI. He was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year this past season, averaging 12.6 points per game.

Riley Abercrombie, Forward (So.) – Houston native and transfer from Boise State who redshirted before playing last year. Good shooter from distance who should contribute this year.

Jake Lieppert, Guard (So.) – Lights out scorer at Pima Community College where he shot 41.7 percent from three. He was named league Freshman of the Year last season.

More Names to Know

The Owls are excited about their incoming Freshmen Noah Hutchins, Mylyjael Poteat and Cameron Sheffield. We saw a few freshmen earn early playing time a year ago, and with so many new faces, it’s not out of the question that at least one, if not multiple players from his class break through and find roles.

Hutchins and Sheffield are great shooters. Poteat brings plenty of size and range. All three should complement each other well as Rice works to rebuild a young core.

Sophomores Ben Moffat and Reed Myers each played in less than five games a season ago, averaging less than two minutes. They’ll more than likely be locker room guys and depth pieces again this year as well.

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2020-2021 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

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The 2020-2021 Rice women’s basketball season is fast approaching. Here’s a rundown of the Owls’ squad aiming for a third-straight conference title.

It feels like so long ago since Tina Langley and the Rice women’s basketball team stood awkwardly on the court in Frisco, Tx prior to their Conference USA Conference Tournament game that never tipped off. The Owls had surged through the league for a second-consecutive regular-season title and were prepared to defend it, but the wave of COVID-19 cancelations stole that chance away.

Much has happened in the months that followed. Erica Ogwumike was selected in the WNBA Draft. And just this month, Rice signed a new class of freshmen. Finally, the longer than anticipated offseason is coming to an end.

The Coach – Tina Langley

There’s a reason Rice signed Tina Langley to a five-year contract extension prior to the beginning of last season. She’s built one of the most dominant programs across the breadth of Rice Athletics. She helped Rice earn its first-ever ranking in the AP Poll, led the team to an undefeated conference record two seasons ago continues to rewrite record books. As long as Langley is at South Main, this program is in good hands.

Last Season Snapshot

Rice saw a 30-game conference winning streak broken on the road against Old Dominion in overtime last February. The loss marked the first time the Owls had fallen to a conference opponent in longer than a calendar year.

Podcast: Erica Ogwumike talks Rice basketball career and abrupt ending

Undeterred, Rice would rally, setting up a winner-take-all matchup with those same Monarchs at Tudor Fieldhouse on the final day of the regular season. Rice beat Old Dominion that day, clinching the conference title and cutting down the nets on their home court. Rice finished the year 21-8 (16-2 C-USA).

Key Question

What does this team look like without Ogwumike? We saw a brief snippet of the team without their star guard on the floor last season and they faired well, but it’s one thing to make something work for a few games and another to be without such a potent scorer and ace rebounder for a full season. The sample we’ve seen suggests they’ll be just fine, but there could be an adjustment period as the team adapts.

The Schedule

Rice Women’s Basketball Marquee Games and Key Dates

Nov. 25, 2020 – Season opener vs Houston Baptist at Tudor Fieldhouse
Nov. 28, 2020 – First road game, at Little Rock
Dec. 20, 2020 – Owls visit Texas A&M at Reed Arena
Jan. 1, 2020 – Conference USA opener at UTSA
Jan. 8, 2020 – Conference USA home opener vs UTEP
Mar. 10, 2020 – Conference USA Tournament

You can find the complete 2020-2021 Rice women’s basketball schedule here.

Key Returners

Sydne Wiggins, Guard (Sr.)

Wiggins led Rice in minutes last season, starting all 29 games. She’s a dynamic shooter from the outside and a pesky defender. Her 1.7 steals per game ranked Top 10 in Conference USA. A senior, Wiggins will be a key leader for this team on and off the court, always playing with an infectious level of aggressiveness.

Jasmine Smith, Guard (Jr.)

Through two seasons, Smith has started every game of her Rice career. She’s a lockdown defender and a plus rebounder, frequently turning takeaways into easy opportunities for the Rice offense. Her enthusiasm and quickness on defense prevented even some of the conference’s best shooters from getting open looks from deep.

Nancy Mulkey, Center (Sr.)

When healthy, Mulkey is one of the most potent forces in women’s college basketball. When she’s on the court, she gives Rice an advantage that no other team in the conference can match. She’s improved on her touch inside and is really becoming a more well-rounded player as she enters her third season on South Main. She’s blocked 171 shots in 48 games in her Rice career.

Lauren Schwartz, Guard (So.)

Schwartz cracked the starting lineup for the Owls immediately upon her arrival at South Main last year. A member of the Conference USA All-Freshman team, her ability as a scorer and a facilitator on offense was crucial to the team’s success on that side of the court. She averaged 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. With Erica Ogwumike gone, Schwartz will be the primary ballhandler for Rice this season.

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Key names off the bench

Destiny Jackson, Guard (So.) – Saw the most playing time of the freshmen reserves last season. Shot .442 from the field and was a key contributed in the early parts of conference play.

Kendall Ellig, Center (Sr.) – Earned the backup center role and played well. She averaged 2.0 rebounds per game, playing at least 15 minutes in nine contests.

Haylee Swayze, Guard (Jr.) – Opened last season with 22 points off the bench against Nicholls St. Capable shooter off the bench that can rise to the occasion when her number is called.

Katelyn Crosthwait, Guard (So.) – Impactful interior scorer who helped Rice defeat Old Dominion with a season-high 21 minutes and 11 points. Trustworthy defender and rebounder.

More names to know

Sophomore forwards India Bellamy and Ashlee Austin saw a large portion of their action in non-conference play last season, but each had moments during the conference slate where they were asked to come off the bench and play roles here and there. They should be involved in similar situations again this season with room for their playing time to grow.

Arianna McCurry will see some run as a reserve behind Nancy Mulkey and Kendall Ellig at center. Newcomer Maya Bokunewicz can play multiple positions. The 6-foot freshman received rave reviews from coach Langley in the offseason and should see the floor in some capacity early on, especially given how committed the Owls were to getting a much larger freshman class playing experience last fall.

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Rice Basketball: Travis Evee, Riley Abercrombie immediately eligible

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Rice basketball received more good news in the days leading up to the 2020-2021 season. Guard Travis Evee has been granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.

The offseason was a hard one for Rice basketball. Seniors said their goodbyes and a wave of familiar faces entered the Transfer Portal. Rice would rebuild once again, hoping to do so with a talented freshmen class and a smattering of hand-picked transfers.

That process was expedited in mid-October when Boise State transfer Riley Abercrombie was granted immediate eligibility following a waiver request submitted to the NCAA. Rice got more good news this week, learning another transfer, Travis Evee, formerly of VMI, has also been cleared to play this season. That’s two big additions to the Rice basketball roster for the upcoming season.

Evee was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year last season, leading VMI with 12.6 points per game. He made 36.2 percent of his three-point attempts at VMI and has impressed in his time on campus thus far. His immediate eligibility will be huge for the Rice offense, which needed another proven scorer as well as someone who can direct the offense. Evee could check both of those boxes.

Several new faces will join Evee and Abercrombie on the court this fall. Texas Tech transfer Malik Ondigo will be eligible this season after sitting out last year per transfer protocols. Grad transfers Cavit Ege Havsa and Tre Clark should both make an impact as well JUCO guard Jake Lieppert. That cast of new characters will join the likes of Payon Moore, Chris Mullins, Max Fiedler and Quincy Olivari.

There will be a lot of new faces on the court at Tudor Fieldhouse this season. Fortunately for the Owls, they won’t have to wait an additional season to see one of their most promising new additions in action at South Main.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Guard Andrew King commits to Owls

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2022 shooting guard Andrew King has committed to Rice basketball. He’s the first Owls’ commitment of the 2022 class.

With the dust settled somewhat from a busy spring and summer, Rice basketball has secured their first commitment from the 2022 class. Guard Andrew King has committed to the Owls. He picked Rice over offers from Grand Canyon, UC Davis and Northern Colorado.

The 6-foot-3, 160-pound guard from Phhoenix Prep should provide a boost to the Rice offense, which is going to look a lot younger in the coming years. King announced his decision this week via Twitter. He thanked those who helped him get to this point and declared his commitment to Rice.

https://twitter.com/__AndrewKing__/status/1319739172710617088

The addition of King turns the page to the next chapter for Rice basketball’s roster. The Owls might not be on the court yet, but they’ve been working hard behind the scenes. The roster was turned upside down during the offseason. Several newcomers were brought in to backfill for the departures of a few seniors and a handful of other transfers on the way out.

Josh Parrish, Drew Peterson, Trey Murphy, Ako Adams and Robert Martin are gone. In their place, Rice brought in Riley Abercrombie, Noah Hutchins, Travis Evee, Cavit Ege Havsa, Jake Lieppert and Tre Clark.

A junior, King has some time before he starts putting up shots at Tudor Fieldhouse. Still, it’s nice to see Rice continuing to build for the future. The recent influx makes it likely the 2022 class won’t be very large, but it’s off to a great start.

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Rice Basketball: 2021 Guard Elijah Lawrence commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice Basketball recruiting class picked up its third member, adding local guard Elijah Lawrence from Bellaire High School.

Rice basketball has its third commitment of the 2021 class. 6-foot-1 guard Elijah Lawrence from Bellaire High School, just down the road from the Tudor Fieldhouse. Rice beat out fellow C-USA peer Old Dominion, who offered him earlier in the summer.

Lawrence’s commitment cements a three-player class. Also in the fold are forward Damion McDowell who was the first to commit in May and shooting guard Jaden Geron, who committed in July. Both of the prior commits are California natives. Lawrence represents the lone Texan in the class.

Rice had the distinct advantage of an existing relationship with Lawrence prior to restrictions on in-person visits that went into place earlier this year. He’d already had face time with head coach Scott Pera thanks in part to his close proximity. Fostering that relationship with face to face conversations made the decision easier for Lawrence this summer.

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Lawrence describes himself as a “true team captain on the floor” who can “defend at a high level and play offense at a high level.” His flexibility and versatility will be key as he assimilates into the Owls’ attack.

On the court, Rice is getting a fairly well-rounded player. He has a nice release and can get to the basket in a hurry. He’s not the biggest at 6-foot-1, 160 pounds, but he handles himself well and is able to cut through traffic. Overall a nice pickup for the Owls.

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