Rice University Athletics
Owls Open Season with Exhibition vs. Incarnate Word
11/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 7, 2007
The Rice Owls basketball team begins the 2007-08 season with an exhibition game vs. Incarnate Word on Wednesday, November 7 at 7 pm in Reliant Arena.
The University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio offers nine men's and 10 women's sports. The Cardinals are members of the NCAA Division II and competes as a charter member of the Heartland Conference.
Last year the Owls defeated the Cardinals 64-49 as Morris Almond poured in 28 points and Cory Pflieger scored 16.
Now in his 16th season, head coach Willis Wilson is up to the task in getting this team ready for the adversity forthcoming in playing home games off campus.
"I think that this year will be a great opportunity for our team to grow as a result of the challenges that we are going to face by not having a home court on campus," states Wilson. "The experience in playing our home games away from campus will pay off for us in the late season. By doing that, I think we are going to be accustomed to playing in different environments, especially when we go on the road and play in hostile situations."
Just like Autry Court, this year's basketball team will also have a new look. The Owls will be flying without NBA first-round draft pick Morris Almond who poured in over 1,400 points the last two seasons and was the Player of the Year in Conference USA for 2007. In addition to Almond, the Owls will be without the services of three-year starting point guard Lorenzo Williams, who holds Rice's single-season assist record, and center Greg Killings (6' 11" and 6.2 rebounds) who have graduated. Needless to say, the Owls will have to step up and overachieve.
Offensively, the Owls do not return a single player who scored in double-digits in 2007, but there are some untapped weapons on the squad, sort of like having Morris Almond before he became Morris Almond. Therefore, look for Rice to spread the wealth on the offensive attack.
Comments Wilson, "We will go back to four or five years ago when we really spread the ball around in running a much faster-paced offense that gets more people involved."
Guard play is a huge factor in college basketball. It certainly will be paramount for Rice after losing the aforementioned Almond and Williams.
"If we are going to have success it has to start with our guards in their ability to handle the ball and get us up and down the floor and that starts with Bryan Beasley, Chris Hagan, Rodney Foster, and Cory Pflieger," says Wilson. "Those guys have to do a good job of setting the tempo for our offensive attack."
The Owls have some shooters, especially from outside. Two guys you have to guard once they step on the court are juniors Cory Pflieger and Rodney Foster. Having the option of utilizing shooters, Foster and Pflieger, in addition to Chris Hagan at the point all at the same time is beneficial to Wilson.
"When you have a shooter like Rodney on one wing and Cory Pflieger on the other we can be explosive from the outside," says Wilson. Added to the guard mix is freshman Jasen Williams, a Houston native. Freshman Suleiman Braimoh comes to Rice after spending last season at a New Jersey prep school, The Lawrenceville School, the same institution that Florida's Joakim Noah attended.
Two things the Owls have going for them on the defensive side of the court is length and depth. Returnees Aleks Perka, Patrick Britton, Paulius Packevicius, Lawrence Ghoram all have length and the freshmen class of Jasen Williams, Suleiman Braimoh, and Scott Saunders also bring the element of length.
Veteran post player, senior forward Paulius Packevicius, has been a consistent player throughout his Rice career. Sophomore Lawrence "Cliff" Ghoram gives Wilson flexibility with his strength and athleticism. Scott Saunders is one of the better skilled freshman post players to come to Rice recently. One of them most athletic basketball players in C-USA is junior Aleks Perka. Perka was thrust into more playing time last season as injuries befell post players Killings and Hagen. He actually ended up starting the last six games of the season.
This season's style of play of running the floor harder and running big guys to the basket will be beneficial to senior forward Patrick Britton.
"With his ability to hit free throws and the fact that he can run and slash and get fouled often will be just a bonus for our basketball team," says Wilson.
With a tough schedule that features games road at Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, TCU, UTEP, playing in Iowa's tournament, and home games vs. Memphis and UAB it is a difficult task that lies ahead of Wilson and his Owls.
Says Wilson, "The thing that this team has that I like is that they are focused, very determined, and have a great work ethic. It is a group of guys that have a chip on their shoulder with something to prove. If we can overachieve and get more out of the time that we spend than our opponents, then I think we are going to win more than we lose."
