Conference USA Basketball: Preseason rankings for 2020-2021 season

14. Rice Owls

The 2020 – 2021 Rice basketball program looks for improvement, as they are in the rebuilding process and are looking to the long term, as 4th-year head coach Scott Pera continues to look for improvement this upcoming season. Last year’s Owls (15-17 overall and 7- 11 in conference play) squad finished in the bottom half of just about every 2019 statistical category in Conference USA.

But, there were a couple of bright spots as they finished first in 3-pointers made (317) and were 5th in free throw percentage (72%), sixth in scoring (73.8), and 2nd in assist to turnover ratio (13.4). In the 2020-2021 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook Coach Pera was quoted as saying “We are in the process of building a sustainable wining program. We will take no shortcuts in any of the decisions that we make and do, to build a consistent winner. We are on the cusp”.

This year’s 2020 – 2021 season could be a real challenge for the Owls, as they lost four starters from last year’s team including their leading scorer Trey Murphy III, who transferred to Virginia during the off-season.

Murphy averaged 13.7 points per game and made 75 3-pointers, while shooting 36.8 percent from behind the arc. Between Murphy and departed senior Ako Adams accounted for 126 of those 3-pointers made last year. That kind of production will be difficult to replace.

Rice is looking to three returning players to lead the way, as they returns one starter from last years team in junior guard Chris Mullins (7.3 point per game and 2.6 assists) and returning guards junior guard Payton Moore (4.9ppg and 1.9rpg) and sophomore Quincy Olivari (6.0 ppg, 1.7rpg).  The frontcourt is not lacking in talent, as the Owls welcome 6-10 Texas Tech transfer Malik Ondigo and returning 6-10 sophomore Max Fiedler (2.7ppg and 4.1rpg) both look to bolster the inside game this year.

The Owls were able to partially make up for the loss of 4 starters by adding five transfers 6-5 Tre Clark (Furman), 6-5 Cavit Ege Hava ( Utah Valley State), 6-9 sophomore forward Riley Abercombie (Bowie State). 6-3 guard Jake Lieppert and 6-1 sophomore guard Travis Evee (VMI). Evee will not be eligible until the 2021 – 2022 season, but the other four transfers expect to contribute.

If Rice is going to have a successful season, Coach Pera, hopes that the returning players play to their potential and take a step forward, as well as hoping that the four transfers will be able to fit in and contribute right away. The key for the Owls will be on the defensive end of the floor, as they will have to play consistent pressure defense and make critical stops when necessary.