The source for Rice sports news

Rice Basketball Recruiting: PG Aaron Powell commits to Owls

By

Point guard Aaron Powell became the latest member of a surging 2024 Rice basketball recruiting class that just keeps soaring higher and higher.

The new coaching staff is wasting no time making their mark. The 2024 Rice basketball recruiting class is already bordering on historic. The Owls have added four new players to the fold including their most recent commitment, point guard Aaron Powell, one of the highest-rated players in program history.

Powell originally signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Cal Poly this past fall but adjusted his plans when Rice entered the picture. Powell also had offers from the likes of Indiana, Arizona State and Cal State Fullerton. Instead, he’s headed south from his California home to play for head coach Rob Lanier and the Owls.

Classified as a four-star recruit by ESPN and a three-star recruit by 247 Sports, Powell slides in just behind Keanu Dawes, a 2023 Rice signee who holds the mantle of the highest-rated signee in program history. Dawes’ was recruited following Scott Pera’s sixth season at the help, though. To get someone of Powell’s caliber in a transition class is truly remarkable.

Powell joins fell commits Emory Lanier, Kellen Amos, Trey Patterson and Trae Broadnax.

More: Rice Basketball Roster Tracker

On the court, Powell is a force. He averaged 18.2 points per game this past season and adds some tenacity on the defensive end of the court, too. Powell has the potential to step in and carry a large load quickly when he arrives at South Main. His addition is absolutely massive for a rebuilding roster that just got a lot better in a hurry.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball Recruiting: F Trey Patterson commits to Owls

By

Another addition to the latest Rice basketball recruiting class is in the fold. Former Villanova transfer Trey Patterson has committed to the Owls.

The Rice basketball recruiting efforts have picked up in earnest under the direction of new head man Rob Lanier. In addition to his son, Emory, and CCSU guard Kellen Amos, the Owls have now landed a commitment from former Villanova forward Trey Patterson, bringing the total of new roster additions to three, and counting.

Patterson enrolled at Villanova in the spring of 2020, seeing action in just two regular season games that year, although he did notch an NCAA Tournament appearance against North Texas. He made a second appearance in the NCAAs the following year, logging minutes in a first round game against Delaware.

Patterson’s most recent season was marred by injury. He missed the entirety of the 2023-2024 campaign while recovering from labrum surgery on his right shoulder. Before the injury, Patterson appeared in 40 games for the Wildcats, mostly serving as a rotational piece off the bench. He’ll have two seasons of eligibility remaining when he arrives at South Main.

More: Rice Basketball Roster Tracker

A former Rivals 4-star recruit, the recurring commentary surrounding Patterson’s career so far has been injuries. In addition to the shoulder surgery, he’s also dealt with hip surgery and a sports hernia. The talent has never been an issue, it’s been all about availability. Both the Owls and Patterson hope he’ll be able to turn over a new leaf and Houston and showcase that talent on the court at Tudor Fieldhouse.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Kellen Amos commits to Owls

By

The first Rice basketball recruiting addition of the new coaching staff is in. CCSU guard Kellen Amos has committed to the Owls.

Newly named Rice basketball head coach Rob Lanier has assembled his staff and hit the recruiting trail in earnest. The first commitment of his tenure comes in the form of Houston native Kellen Amos, who kicks off this new Rice basketball recruiting cycle with a bang, joining the Owls after spending the last two seasons at Central Connecticut State University.

Amos played his high school ball at Saint John College Prep in Houston before signing with Binghamton. He played two seasons there before transferring to CCSU where he stepped into a larger role with the Blue Devils. Amos started 63 games over the last two seasons, averaging 13.0 points per game and making 109 combined three-pointers.

With his help, CCSU secured the regular season title in the Northeast Conference. He was rewarded for his efforts with an all-NEC third-team selection this past season. In addition to Emory Lanier, head coach Rob Lanier’s son, Amos has also been joined by Villanova transfer Trey Patterson, slowly building up the Owls’ roster for the 2024-2025 season.

More: Rice Basketball Roster Tracker

Amos’ time at CCSU is filled with highlight-reel plays. He’s a capable scorer at multiple levels, adding a fearlessness at the rim to his ability to hit the deep shot, too. He’s also a threat on the defensive end of the court, protecting the rim with his 6-foot-7 frame and finding ways to turn defense into offense, like this.

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

Recent Posts

The Roost Podcast | Ep 142 – Rice Football Spring Practice and Basketball Recruiting

By

Rice Football spring practices are in the books, but first we need to talk some basketball recruiting. It’s been a busy week for the offseason on both fronts.

It’s time to voice our final approvals and concerns following the conclusion of Rice football spring practices, including an initial review of the first outings of JT Daniels as the Owls’ QB1. But it’s not just football in the news right now. A string of recruiting success on the hardwood put Rice basketball into the spotlight in mid-April for a very good reason.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 142.

Episode Notes

Housekeeping

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 you’ve grown to love (or at least tolerate), but now with new partners.

Please support us 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.

Become a Patron!

Rice Basketball Recruiting heats up

  • Rice has a higher rated recruiting class than … Texas
  • Three new additions from the transfer portal should inject plenty of talent
  • 2023-2024 roster looks really, really intriguing

Rice Football Spring Ball final thoughtsΒ 

  • JT Daniels as good as advertised
  • Dean Connors and Juma Otoviano show out
  • The new coaches are posting encouraging early returns
  • The offensive line is a work-in-progress, but there’s some reasons that’s the case
  • How worried should we be about the run defense?
  • Who is going to step up behind Gabe Taylor at safety and when will we find out?

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.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball Recruiting: Gardner-Webb transfer Anthony Selden commits to Owls

By

The run of Rice basketball recruiting wins in the transfer portal marches on. Gardner-Webb transfer Anthony Selden has committed to the Owls.

On his visit to campus last weekend, Gardner-Webb transfer Anthony Selden felt right at home. A few days later he formalized those feelings into a commitment, becoming part of the newest wave of Rice basketball recruiting successes in the Transfer Portal.

Rice was new to Selden, but there was at least one familiar face, Travis Evee, who played alongside Selden growing up and competed with him in their prep school days. Selden told The Roost that connection played a part in his final decision, but made it clear he’d fallen in love with the program during his recruitment. “The culture of the staff and the players was outstanding and made the decision easy for me,” he said.

Selden marks the third prominent addition to the newest Rice basketball recruiting class from the Transfer Portal in the last several days. Cal transfer forward Sam Alajiki was the first to make his pledge and was soon followed by an announcement from former Vanderbilt guard Noah Shelby. Selden rounds out a robust haul of veteran additions to an already strong core led by Max Fiedler and the aforementioned Evee.

On the court, Selden’s ability to attack from the wing will make Rice better. He can score from multiple levels and isn’t afraid to get vertical and make plays. Having another proven scorer in the fold is always a good thing and he’s already turned in his fair share of highlights, too.

The aspect of his game he’s the most proud of though? It’s the other side of the ball. Selden said he was most proud of his defense. “I feel like that sets me apart from most players because I want to guard the best player day in and day out,” Selden said. At the end of the day, that might end up being the most welcomed aspect of his addition to the Owls ranks.

 

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

Recent Posts