Monday, November 7
Malibu, CA
9 p.m.
Rice University
at
Pepperdine
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Men’s Basketball Opens 2022-23 Season at Pepperdine
11/6/2022 12:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HOUSTON — Rice opens the 2022-23 regular season this Monday, Nov. 7, when it travels to Malibu, Calif., to face Pepperdine. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. CT and will be streamed by the WCC Network.
Game 1
What: Rice at Pepperdine
When: Monday, November 7 at 9 p.m.
Where: Malibu, Calif.
Stadium: Firestone Fieldhouse (3,104)
Watch: WCC Network
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Series tied 2-2 (0-1 in Malibu)
Scouting Rice
• Rice returns nine letterwinners and three starters from last year's squad that advanced to the College Basketball Invitational
• Rice brings back three of its top four scorers and four of its top six rebounders from last year.
• Junior guard Travis Evee returns after being named Conference USA Honorable Mention last year. He placed second on the team with 13.6 points per game. He finished fourth in C-USA in three-point field goals (86) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (37.9%). He also led the team with 1.1 steals per game and was second with 2.8 assists per game.
• Preseason All-Conference USA honoree Quincy Olivari was fourth on the team with 9.9 points per game and second 6.0 rebounds per game.
• Junior forward Max Fiedler was third on the team with 9.9 points per game and was third in the conference with 7.7 rebounds per game. He was second on the team in field goal percentage, connecting on 57.5% from the field. He's also tied for fourth in the conference with nine double-doubles and added 3.6 assists per game, good for 10th in the league.
• Rice added seven newcomers to this year's team, which include five freshmen and two transfers.
• The five freshmen include guards Mason Jones (Chicago, Ill.) and Mekhi Mason (Gilbert, Ariz.), forwards Andrew Akuchie (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and George Perkins (Washington, D.C.) and center Ifeanyi Ufochukwu (Benin City, Nigeria). Also joining the team are transfer guard Alem Huseinovic (Zenica, Bosnia & Herzogovina/Nevada) and forward Seryee Lewis (Chicago, Ill./Kansas State).
• Head coach Scott Pera begins his sixth season leading the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting Pepperdine
• Pepperdine begins the 2022-23 campaign after finishing 7-25 and 1-15 in the West Coast Conference.
• The Waves welcome back seven letterwinners from last year's squad, including three starters. Pepperdine also welcomes six newcomers
• Pepperdine returns its top four scorers from last year, led by Preseason All-WCC member Houston Mallette. Mallette led the team and was 10th in the WCC with 13.6 points per game. He also led the squad with 71 three-pointers and a 38.2% three-point field goal percentage.
• Senior forward Jan Zidek was second on the team with 13.3 points per game while leading the team in free throw percentage, connecting on 88.1% from the charity stripe.
• Sophomore forward Maxwell Lewis, a member of the West Coach Conference All-Freshman Team last year, averaged 11.0 points per game.
• Sophomore guard Mike Mitchell, Jr., averaged 9.1 points and was second in the league last year with 4.8 assists per game.
• Head coach Lorenzo Romar begins his fifth season and eighth overall leading the Pepperdine men's basketball program, where he holds a 96-115 record. In 25 seasons as a head coach, he is 445-355.
Rice-Pepperdine Series History
• Rice and Pepperdine will meet for the second straight year and the just the fourth time overall.
• The series is tied at two.
• The teams first met in 1945 in the All-College Tournament with the Waves taking a 48-35 decision.
• They then met 1950 with the Owls earning a 68-65 overtime victory in Houston.
• It would be over 30 years before they met again, this time in 1981 with Pepperdine earning the win, 77-64, in their only meeting in Malibu.
• The teams opened the regular season last year at Tudor Fieldhouse with the Owls taking an 82-63 victory.
Next Up
• Rice opens its 2022-23 home slate this Thursday, Nov. 10, when it hosts St. Thomas. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. The game will be streamed at CUSAtv.
Game 1
What: Rice at Pepperdine
When: Monday, November 7 at 9 p.m.
Where: Malibu, Calif.
Stadium: Firestone Fieldhouse (3,104)
Watch: WCC Network
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Series tied 2-2 (0-1 in Malibu)
Scouting Rice
• Rice returns nine letterwinners and three starters from last year's squad that advanced to the College Basketball Invitational
• Rice brings back three of its top four scorers and four of its top six rebounders from last year.
• Junior guard Travis Evee returns after being named Conference USA Honorable Mention last year. He placed second on the team with 13.6 points per game. He finished fourth in C-USA in three-point field goals (86) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (37.9%). He also led the team with 1.1 steals per game and was second with 2.8 assists per game.
• Preseason All-Conference USA honoree Quincy Olivari was fourth on the team with 9.9 points per game and second 6.0 rebounds per game.
• Junior forward Max Fiedler was third on the team with 9.9 points per game and was third in the conference with 7.7 rebounds per game. He was second on the team in field goal percentage, connecting on 57.5% from the field. He's also tied for fourth in the conference with nine double-doubles and added 3.6 assists per game, good for 10th in the league.
• Rice added seven newcomers to this year's team, which include five freshmen and two transfers.
• The five freshmen include guards Mason Jones (Chicago, Ill.) and Mekhi Mason (Gilbert, Ariz.), forwards Andrew Akuchie (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and George Perkins (Washington, D.C.) and center Ifeanyi Ufochukwu (Benin City, Nigeria). Also joining the team are transfer guard Alem Huseinovic (Zenica, Bosnia & Herzogovina/Nevada) and forward Seryee Lewis (Chicago, Ill./Kansas State).
• Head coach Scott Pera begins his sixth season leading the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting Pepperdine
• Pepperdine begins the 2022-23 campaign after finishing 7-25 and 1-15 in the West Coast Conference.
• The Waves welcome back seven letterwinners from last year's squad, including three starters. Pepperdine also welcomes six newcomers
• Pepperdine returns its top four scorers from last year, led by Preseason All-WCC member Houston Mallette. Mallette led the team and was 10th in the WCC with 13.6 points per game. He also led the squad with 71 three-pointers and a 38.2% three-point field goal percentage.
• Senior forward Jan Zidek was second on the team with 13.3 points per game while leading the team in free throw percentage, connecting on 88.1% from the charity stripe.
• Sophomore forward Maxwell Lewis, a member of the West Coach Conference All-Freshman Team last year, averaged 11.0 points per game.
• Sophomore guard Mike Mitchell, Jr., averaged 9.1 points and was second in the league last year with 4.8 assists per game.
• Head coach Lorenzo Romar begins his fifth season and eighth overall leading the Pepperdine men's basketball program, where he holds a 96-115 record. In 25 seasons as a head coach, he is 445-355.
Rice-Pepperdine Series History
• Rice and Pepperdine will meet for the second straight year and the just the fourth time overall.
• The series is tied at two.
• The teams first met in 1945 in the All-College Tournament with the Waves taking a 48-35 decision.
• They then met 1950 with the Owls earning a 68-65 overtime victory in Houston.
• It would be over 30 years before they met again, this time in 1981 with Pepperdine earning the win, 77-64, in their only meeting in Malibu.
• The teams opened the regular season last year at Tudor Fieldhouse with the Owls taking an 82-63 victory.
Next Up
• Rice opens its 2022-23 home slate this Thursday, Nov. 10, when it hosts St. Thomas. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. The game will be streamed at CUSAtv.
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