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Rice Basketball Recruiting: F Alex Leeth commits to Owls

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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.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Jaxson Thompson commits to Owls

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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/
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Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Jordan Williams commits to Owls

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An SEC transfer has signed as the final addition to the 2025 Rice basketball recruiting class. Former Vanderbilt point guard Jordan Williams is officially an Owl.

Following an initial flurry of activity with the end of the season, rosters across the country have been trending closer and closer towards competition. The 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class found its final member not too far from South Main. Houston native Jordan Williams has signed his grant-in-aid to play for the Owls this coming season.

Williams hails from Second Baptist High School not too far down the road, where he got his start, before initially signing with Texas A&M. He would redshirt in his lone season in College Station before transferring to Vanderbilt, where he saw action in 37 games, making 10 starts across the past two seasons.

Upon his signing, Rice basketball head coach Rob Lanier called Williams “an extremely competitive player who has the skill and aptitude on offense along with versality and grit on defense” as well as a player who “brings an abundance of something we cannot teach…toughness.”

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

He will likely be the final member of a transfer ground that includes players from across the country such as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi center Stephen Giwa, Prairie View A&M guard Nick Anderson, Mount St. Mary’s guard Dallas Hobbs and JUCO forward Eternity Eguagie.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: F Eternity Eguagie commits to Owls

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A dynamic JUCO hooper is joining the 2025 Rice basketball recruiting class. Forward Eternity Eguagie has committed to the Owls.

Since he arrived at South Main, head coach Rob Lanier has made it abundantly clear he’ll look everywhere for talented playmakers to add to his roster. The most recent addition to the 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class. By way of a Kansas junior college, Canadian native Eternity Eguagie has committed to the Owls.

Eguagie picked Rice over offers from UMass, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Austin Peay and others, bringing his dynamic scoring abilities to Texas after one year at the junior college ranks. He started all 31 games for Colby Community College, averaging 18.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, pacing his team in most every category while averaging more than 30 minutes per game.

As for why Eguagie picked the Owls, “Rice just felt like home,” he told The Roost. “The coaching staff made me feel valued and I could really see myself growing both as a player and as a person in that environment.”

Rice has had success acquiring talent from outside the D1 level, most recently finding Jacob Dar from Emory and Henry a season ago. The reality, though, was that many of the Owls’ transfer portal additions a year ago came from outside the sport’s marquee brands. The same can be said of this current class.

The 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class also includes players from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (center Stephen Giwa), Prairie View A&M (guard Nick Anderson) as well as Mount St. Mary’s (guard Dallas Hobbs).

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

Eguagie’s athleticism is intoxicating on film. He was a force at the rim against his JUCO peers, but even if some of that is limited by the step-up in competition, the 6-foot-6 forward possesses enough quickness and versatility that suggests he’ll be able to find additional ways to contribute. He’s a reliable three-point shooter, too.

“Rice fans can expect someone who is going to give their absolute all every time I step on the court,” he said. “As well as a dedicated and hardworking player who is always striving to improve.”

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Dallas Hobbs commits to Owls

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The Transfer Portal remains kind to Rice basketball recruiting efforts. Mount St. Mary’s guard Dallas Hobbs has committed to the Owls.

A high-scoring point guard with NCAA Tournament experience is heading to South Main as the most recent addition to the 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class. Mount St. Mary’s guard Dallas Hobbs has committed to the Owls.

A native of DeSoto, Texas, Hobbs spent his first two seasons of college ball with the Mountaineers, making 11 starts as a true freshman before becoming a full-time starter as a sophomore this past season. He averaged 12.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while knocking down more than 50 three-pointers.

“Coach [Lanier] likes to play fast and lets his guards play with a lot of freedom and that’s what I do,” Hobbs told The Roost. “So it’s a great fit.”

Hobbs helped lead Mount St. Mary’s to the NCAA Tournament, where they defeated American University in a First Four matchup before eventually losing to Final Four participant, Duke. Hobbs scored 17 points in that game, shooting 4-of-8 from three.

Now that Hobbs is in the fold, the 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class has grown to three portal additions. Also committing this week were Texas A&M-Corpus Christi center Stephen Giwa and Prairie View A&M guard Nick Anderson.

More: Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

Hobbs is a two-way player with a quick first step. He drives the paint well and can finish at the rim. His highlights showcase a variety of powerful moves to the basket. He should be able to contribute at the point guard position immediately for Rice basketball. At a minimum, he’ll provide another potent scoring option the Owls’ need.

“I’m just at hooper,” Hobbs said. “I do everything. Dribble, pass, shoot, play defense. Whatever it takes.”

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