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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Guard Mekhi Mason commits to Owls

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Rice basketball recruiting is finding success off the court while the Owls win on it. Guard Mekhi Mason has committed to the Owls.

It’s been a great couple of weeks for Rice basketball. The Owls started off their 2020-2021 season with a 9-3 record, including an impressive 3-1 start in conference play. They entered the weekend tied for the most wins in the conference.

But the positive moment wasn’t limited to the court. Rice basketball recruiting was gaining momentum, too. As the Owls excelled on the hardwood they also bolstered their future with the commitment of 6-foot-5 guard Mekhi Mason from AZ Compass Prep School in Arizona. Mason also had offers from Grand Canyon and North Carolina A&T.

Mason is the second commitment in the 2022 class. Andrew King, a 6-foot-3 guard also from the state of Arizona, pledged his services to Rice last fall. Like King, Mason is a high school junior. Returning to the high school ranks is refreshing for the Owls following an unusual offseason flush with transfers and graduation.

The addition of Mason should give Rice some more length at the guard spot, filling a gap left by some of the departing players. Mason uses that length well, elevating over defenders when he pulls up to shoot while still maintaining an ability to get to the basket quickly.  He’ll fit well in the scheme head coach Scott Pera likes to utilize, making him a great pick up for the 2022 class.

It’s hard to make too many definitive assessments of what rosters will look like next season in the age of the Transfer Portal and in the midst of COVID-19. For the time being, though, the Owls look to be setting themselves up well.

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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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Rice Basketball: 2021 Guard Jaden Geron commits to Owls

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The 2021 Rice Basketball recruiting class has doubled in size. Guard Jarden Geron became the second player to commit to the Owls in this cycle.

Rice basketball has its second commitment of the 2021 class. 6-foot-7 shooting guard Jaden Geron from San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, California has committed to Rice. He led San Joaquin to a 24-7 regular season record this past season.

Geron is the second commitment in the 2021 Rice Basketball Recruiting class. His addition comes roughly a month after fellow Californian forward Damion McDowell became the first commitment of the class.

The Owls were the first to get in on Geron, offering him in mid-April amid the now-normal virtual recruiting environment. UC San Diego followed a month later, but Rice had already made enough headway at that point to put themselves out in front.

After bringing in such a large 2020 class amidst the transfer churn, it’s likely the Owls have a smaller group for 2021. McDowell and Hargon will be the cornerstones of this group which probably has space left for just one more addition.

On the court, Geron is a finisher with an adept shooting stroke who can score from all three levels. His ability to push the pace and make plays at the rim should give Rice a versatile offensive threat with the ball in his hands.

As good as he is in close, he also has the range to pull up and knock down a three. At 175-pounds, he tends toward the lankier side, but should have a decent floor as a shooter as he develops at the next level.

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Rice Basketball: Relationships and diversity unify Owls’ 2020 signing class

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In the midst of a challenging recruiting environment, Rice basketball has finalized a seven-member signing class for the upcoming 2020-2021 season.

Those attending a Rice basketball game next season might have to familiarize themselves with the roster. Eight of the 15 players who saw action in at least one game for the Owls’ last season have departed the program. Five exhausted their collegiate eligibility. Three transferred.

The large exodus necessitated a large influx of talent. 6-foot-10 Texas Tech transfer Malik Ondigo, who sat out last season due to transfer rules, will give the Owls a more physical presence inside. Joining him are seven new additions, each pulled together through a variety of connections.

“It all comes back to one thing, relationships,” head coach Scott Pera said when asked how he’d constructed this signing class. “I’ve been fortunate enough to work a lot of places around the country. From LA to Phoenix to Philly to Houston, I’ve got a lot of major cities covered.”

Graduate transfer Cavit Ege Havsa brings a much-needed veteran presence. He was discovered through an assistant with connections to Turkish international players. He’s 6-foot-4 with good hands and will fill in at the four behind the departed Drew Peterson.

Alongside him, third-year player Riley Abercrombie was recruited by Pera out of highschool. He’s a 6-foot-9 transfer from Boise State who was a standout at Clear Lake before moving onto the college ranks.

Guard Jake Lieppert came out of the blue. “I got a random text from basically a friend of a friend in Phoenix,” Pera said. A few months later, Lieppert checked all of the boxes and has made the jump from JUCO to Rice.

Rice was on guard Noah Hutchins for some time. Likewise, they initiated contact with VMI transfer Travis Evee soon after his name hit the Transfer Portal. Guard Cameron Sheffield, the first commitment in the class, and fellow high school addition Mylyjael Poteat round out a balanced group. All with different talents, but the same core identity. They fit at Rice.

On the court, this group will allow Pera to add more size. It wasn’t uncommon for Pera to trust a “small ball” lineup last year, trotting out five guards with Josh Parrish or Robert Martin at the five. Ondigo, Abercrombie and the 6-foot-9 Poteat will help ease the Owls’ size deficiencies.

Having the bodies and getting them to work in concert are different challenges, but getting the pieces in place is the first step.”We still —  I feel — have enough experience to help us out as we move along here,” Pera said confidently. Havsa is in his fifth year. Ondigo is entering his court and Abercrombie his third. Chris Mullins and Payton Moore have played meaningful minutes already at Rice. Things will be different, but the cupboard isn’t empty, not anymore.

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