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Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Cameron Carroll commits to Owls

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Rice basketball has landed its first commitment of the 2025 recruiting class. South Grand Prairie guard Cameron Carroll has committed to the Owls.

When head coach Rob Lanier took the helm of the Rice basketball program his first task was restocking a barren roster. With the 2024-2025 team more or less intact, the Owls were able to turn their attention toward the future, scouting out the right fits for the 2025 class. They landed their first member of that new flock on Wednesday. South Grand Prairie Guard Cameron Carroll has committed to the Owls.

Carroll’s first offer came early from Mississippi State. That set into motion a flurry of interest, eventually reaching the point where Lanier’s staff made the decision to offer Carroll at SMU. From there, Carroll’s stock steadily rose throughout the summer. When Lanier moved to Rice, the Owls swooped in with an offer, kicking off interest from Sam Houston, SFA, New Mexico State and Oral Roberts, among others.

The interest exists for good reason. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard has a diverse array of skills that piqued the interest of so many programs. For Lanier and company to land someone of this caliber bodes well for the future of this 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class.

More: Rice Basketball 2024 Roster Tracker

The film backs up all of those encouraging tidbits. Carroll can score from all three levels, shooting the ball well from the outside while still being quick enough and strong enough to slash into the paint and take it to the rim. He’s a scorer with good ball skills. The vision on the court is encouraging, too. Being able to facilitate the offense is just as important as scoring itself. Carroll looks to excel in both spots. This appears to be a great building block for the Owls’ future.

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Rice Baseball 2024: MLB Owls Update – Sep 3

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The 2024 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls.

Evan Kravetz – Cincinatti Reds

Kravetz made his first cup of coffee at the major league level count, retiring both batters he faced in two-thirds of an inning on August 28, the day he was promoted. The Reds announced they were reverting Kravetz back to AAA three days later.

JT Chargois – Seattle Mariners

Chargois made three appearances with the Mariners this week, tossing 2.0 innings of scoreless ball. He struck out two, walked one and allowed one hit, lowering his ERA with Seattle from 3.72 to 3.09. He’s kept the opponent scoreless in 10 of his 12 games there since he was acquired at the trade deadline.

Through Sep 3, Chargois has a 2.22 ERA with a 1.094 WHIP. He’s averaging 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels

Rendon went 4-for-21 (.191) at the dish this week, but he made his contact count, collecting a pair of doubles with two RBI in the process. Here’s that two-RBI hit against the Mariners, which would prove to be the decision swing that put the Angels on top for good.

Through Sep 3, Rendon is hitting .224 with 10 extra-base hits, 22 walks and 35 strikeouts. His OPS is .590 and he’s collected 11 RBI.

Injured List

Dane Myers – Miami Marlins

Myers’ strong season will be delayed several weeks. He was placed on the 60-day DL this week after initial landing on the injured list when he fractured his left ankle during a game against the Reds prior to the All-Star Break. .

Before he hit the IL, Myers was hitting .265 with eight extra-base hits, seven walks and 32 strikeouts. His OPS is .759 and he’s collected 14 RBI.

Knocking on the Door

The following Owls began the season in AAA:

  • Matt Canterino – St Paul Saints (Twins)
  • Tyler Duffey – Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals)
  • Jon Duplantier – Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers)
  • Tristan Gray – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins)
  • Evan Kravetz – Louisville Bats (Reds) * promoted
  • Lucas Luetge – Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)
  • Dane Myers – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) *promoted
  • Glenn Otto – El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) *claimed by Astros
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Rice Football 2024: Texas Southern presser quotes and depth chart

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Next up for Rice football: the season opener against Texas Southern. Here’s what Mike Bloomgren had to say about the matchup and a few depth chart notes.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren and a set of players met with the media for their customary weekly availability. They recapped the Sam Houston State loss and looked ahead at their upcoming matchup with Texas Southern.

More: Game Preview: Rice Football vs Texas Southern

We touch on those items, then dig into the Rice football depth chart and what the team looks like heading into the weekend. First, the quotes:

Press Conference Quotes

““Watching the film from Saturday, it’s clear that we got away from who we want to be as a football team. And that happened early often. We were critical of the film. I feel like this team has digested the lessons and we will use this fuel. We will respond.” – Mike Bloomgren on the aftermath from the Sam Houston loss

“My belief has not wavered. I believe in this team in all aspects, from every individual, to every position group, to all three phases, to the guys that are coaching it. I also think I’ve been clear with the coaches and the team that we’re no longer going to talk about who this team can be. Right now we’re going to talk about who we are based on that game and how we go forward, how we get better, because those are the only things within our control. I’ve said it for years. Every good program has their biggest jump from week one to week two. And that’s our challenge is to get better right now and to make that big jump, take full advantage for this opportunity we have to have in front of us. We know we have to be better.” – Mike Bloomgren on the program right now 

“My ask right now is for the fans in this program, the people that care about this place to continue to support these kids and to keep coming out. The kids are worthy of their support. I thought we had a great atmosphere in the game Saturday and I thought the only thing that stunk was was our play. So we need that again from our fans.

We’re asking them to come out to Tailgate Owley again to be there to support the guys and welcome them to Rice Stadium when they get off the bus at 4 pm. We need that crowd. We’re going to need these people in the stands, making this a home field advantage again. We’re gonna put on a better show this weekend and we’re working to make sure that’s our reality.” – Mike Bloomgren’s message to the fans

“We got some good pressure, but at the same time, I think we need to take another step, a major step because the run defense was unacceptable. We got to make sure we shut down the run. You can’t win a game if you’re letting up carries like that. We also gotta make sure with our pass rush that we’re keeping the QB in the pocket… Even though we had some nice sacks, good pressure, we gotta make sure we’re limiting that run game.” – Defensive end Charlie Looes on the defensive performance vs Sam Houston

“They got a pretty physical front. The D-linemen are big, strong, they’re pretty explosive, like to penetrate. We just got to focus on our fundamentals and make sure we’re in the best spot to beat it.” – Offensive lineman John Long on the Texas Southern offense

Depth Chart

Rice Football

Depth Chart Notes

There were no changes to the official depth chart this week. Stay tuned to practice notes later in the week for subscribers for the latest on the injury front. There were a few players knocked up during the Sam Houston game and several others who weren’t able to go last week that the Owls hope to have back soon.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 183 – Rice Football falls to SHSU

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Rice football began its 2024 season with a dud, falling to Sam Houston State at home. Is the sky falling or can this team right the ship? We discuss.

If you need some audio therapy, give this week’s podcast a listen. Carter and Matthew work through the disastrous showing Rice football put on display in its opener on Saturday night against Sam Houston. How much of the fault falls on a poor game plan? Could Sam Houston actually be good? Why wasn’t Rice prepared? We sort through it all this week.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 183.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the brand-new sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Patreon

Get exclusive insight on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.

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Recapping Rice Football vs Sam Houston State

  • What happened?
  • Were pre-existing concerns validated?
  • Rice mistakes
  • More Rice mistakes
  • Can they turn things around against Texas Southern?
  • What needs to be addressed most this week?

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Rice Football 2024 Game Preview: Texas Southern

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Rice football takes on Texas Southern at home this week. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Both Texas Southern and Rice football hosted nearby foes in Week 1 with very different results. The Tigers went on the road and beat Prairie View A&M while the Owls fell at home to Sam Houston. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Texas Souhern.

Kickoff time | 6:00 PM CT
Venue | Historic Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Texas Southern on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, kicking off live on Wednesday at 12:00 pm on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. Look for a recap of the game on the site afterward as well as on The Roost Podcast, which should be released early next week.

Sizing up the contenders

Texas Southern is now 1-0 over new head coach Cris Dishman and the Tigers looked much improved in their first appearance under their new head man, snapping a nine-game losing string to PVAMU in the process.

On the other end of this matchup, Rice football laid an egg in their seventh season opener under Mike Bloomgren and cannot afford an 0-2 start in non-conference play with a rivalry matchup with Houston looming. There’s suddenly a lot more pressure on a seemingly innocuous Week 2 nonconference game than were was just a few short days ago.

Series History

All Time | Rice leads, 2-0
Last Five | Rice leads, 2-0
Last Meeting | Home 2023, Rice won 59-7

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Warner – 27/44 (61.4 percent), 227 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Connors – 12 carries, 52 yards (4.3 yards per carry), 1 TD / Atkins – 2 carries, 4 yards (2.0 yards per carry)
Receiving | Connors – 9 receptions, 30 yards (3.3 yds/rec) / Sykes – 6 receptions, 74 yards (12.3 yds/rec) / Groen – 5 receptions, 43 yards (8.6 yds/rec)
Tackles | Pearcy – 8 / Ahoia, Green – 6 / Four tied with 5
Pass Breakups | Jean, Fresch – 1 each
Interceptions | n/a

TXSO Stat Notables

Passing | Cooper – 19/29 (65.5 percent), 126 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing | Green – 15 carries, 81 yards (5.4 yards per carry), 2 TD / Cooper – 6 carries, 52 yards (8.7 yards per carry)
Receiving | Johnson – 4 receptions, 49 yards (12.3 yds/rec) / Bennett – 3 receptions, 43 yards (14.3 yds/rec)
Tackles | No defensive stats available
Pass Breakups | No defensive stats available
Interceptions | No defensive stats available

TXSO X-Factor | If it ain’t broke

Did Sam Houston provide Texas Southern with the blueprint to beat Rice? It’s on the visiting Tigers to find out. Sam Houston was able to find a good amount of success running the football, particularly with their quarterback. Texas Southern’s quarterback KJ Cooper is a threat in the run game, too. 

“There ability to run the football on our defense is not something I thought would happen and not something I was prepared to happen,” Bloomgren said of Sam Houston’s prowess on the ground. It’s on him to get that sorted out this week, but Texas Southern needs to start there, regardless.

Not only is an exposed weakness the Owls have already put on film, but if everything goes according to plan it should shorten the game and take opportunities away from the Rice offense, which proved itself to be potent when they could string a few plays together. 

Rice X-Factor | Block somebody

Head coach Mike Bloomgren said it best on Saturday night. “I couldn’t tell you really what phase of the game we played like I thought we would and what I think we’re capable of,” he admitted. In short, there’s a long list of things for Rice football to fix in the six days they have between their loss to Sam Houston and a suddenly extremely important meeting with Texas Southern. To keep this section digestible, we’re going to start with one must-do: fix the offensive line.

The offensive line had a strong camp and was largely able to hold its own against a Rice pass rush that tallied seven sacks on Saturday night. As I wrote postgame, the degree to which the unit struggled seemed to suggest a scheme mismatch more than a talent deficit. That’s not something that will magically get fixed by reinserting Chad Lindberg into the line if that’s possible, but it shouldn’t take a new face. It should just require better planning and execution.

Rice football needs the line to play like its capable of playing. Competent line play will free up the offense for a quarterback who played well despite having to fear for his life in a shriveling pocket. That will enable more sustained drives and give the defense a much-needed breather. There’s more to fix, but getting this right should be something that’s both doable and will yield results beyond just its singular schematic function.

Injury Report (Subscribers only)

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One Final Thing

For better or worse, this is not the first time Rice football has found itself in this situation. Days removed from a crushing defeat, they have to take the field again.

In 2023, Rice was upset by UConn. They followed it up by dismantling Tulsa 42-10.

In 2022, Rice was throttled by Charlotte who just dismissed their coach. They turned around and beat UTEP the next week.

In 2021, Rice was shut out by UTSA 45-0. They upset UAB on the road 30-24 the following Saturday.

In 2020, Rice lost to an injury-riddle North Texas. Next week they blanked No. 15 Marshall on the road, 20-0.

There’s something to be said for why this program has to pick itself up off the mat at least once every single season, but it’s hard to deny the evidence of what happens when they’re forced to take that hard look in the mirror. They might not have it all together every Saturday, but they’ve proven they have an uncanny ability to flush it and move on.

“It’s never easy, but like honestly, I feel like we have the guys to do it,” Pearcy said of the long road ahead of the team this week. “We have all the talent in the world to do it, it’s just going to come down to execution.”

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