
Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Men’s Basketball to Face Florida State in MattressFirm Battleground 2k24
11/8/2024 1:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HOUSTON — Rice will play its first game in the Toyota Center since 2013 when it faces Florida State in the MattressFirm Battleground 2k24. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.
Game 2
What: Rice (1-0) vs. Florida State (1-0)
When: Saturday, November 9 at 6 p.m.
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Toyota Center (19,000)
Stream: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Florida State leads, 5-2 (1-0, at neutral sites)
Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Saturday's contest with a 1-0 record after defeating FIU, 77-70, in the season opener.
• Rice returns just six letterwinners and one starter from last year's squad.
• Fifth-year senior guard Alem Huseinovic is Rice's leading returning scorer, averaging 7.8 points last year. He also led the team and was seventh in the AAC in three-point field goal percentage (.402).
• Junior forward Andrew Akuchie averaged 3.6 points per game and is the team's leading returning rebounder (3.5).
• Graduate student guard/forward Kellen Amos joins the Owls after transferring from Central Connecticut State, where he twice earned All-Northeast Conference. Last season, he averaged 11.8 points and led the team with 5.2 rebounds, while placing sixth in the NEC in blocks per game (1.1) and ninth in free throw percentage (.747).
• Graduate student guard Trae Broadnax comes to South Main after spending the last two seasons at USC Upstate. Last year, he earned Second Team All-Big South Conference honors after leading the team in both scoring (14.2) and assists (3.5).
• Rice averaged 72.0 points per game last year while allowing 75.0.
• The Owls connected on 44.3% from the field and 33.7% from three. Their opponents connected on 45.1% from the floor and 37.6% from behind the arc.
• Rice was outrebounded by its opponents, 35.6-to-35.4.
• Head coach Rob Lanier is in his first season at the helm of the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting Florida State
• Florida State enters Saturday's game with a 1-0 record after defeating Northern Kentucky, 74-62, in its season opener.
• FSU returns seven letterwinners and just one starter from last year's squad that went 17-16.
• Redshirt senior guard Jamir Watkins returns after leading the team in scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg), and steals (1.9 spg) as he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors
• Along with Watkins, Florida State will lean on a pair of newcomers, including graduate transfer Bostyn Holt (12.3 ppg, 3.1 apg at South Dakota), and second-year transfer forward Jerry Deng (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg at Hampton).
• Florida State averaged 76.5 points per game last year while allowing 76.3.
• The Seminoles connected on 45.3% from the field and 31.7% from three. Their opponents connected on 45.4% from the floor and 35.4% from behind the arc.
• FSU was outrebounded by its opponents, 33.3-to-36.8.
• Head coach Leonard Hamilton is in his 23rd season at the helm of the Florida State men's basketball program, where he has a 422-281 record. In 37 years as a head coach, Hamilton is 622-490.
Rice-Florida State Series History
• Rice and Florida State will meet for the eighth time overall, with FSU holding a 5-2 record.
• This is the first meeting since 1997, a 65-53 Florida State victory.
• Rice is looking for its first victory over the Seminoles since an 83-80 win in Houston in 1968-69.
• Florida State won the only other neutral site contest, an 81-56 decision in the 1964 All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City.
Next Up
• Rice returns to Tudor Fieldhouse for a pair of games, beginning next Tuesday, Nov. 12, when it hosts Louisiana-Monroe. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be streamed at ESPN+.
Game 2
What: Rice (1-0) vs. Florida State (1-0)
When: Saturday, November 9 at 6 p.m.
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Toyota Center (19,000)
Stream: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Florida State leads, 5-2 (1-0, at neutral sites)
Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Saturday's contest with a 1-0 record after defeating FIU, 77-70, in the season opener.
• Rice returns just six letterwinners and one starter from last year's squad.
• Fifth-year senior guard Alem Huseinovic is Rice's leading returning scorer, averaging 7.8 points last year. He also led the team and was seventh in the AAC in three-point field goal percentage (.402).
• Junior forward Andrew Akuchie averaged 3.6 points per game and is the team's leading returning rebounder (3.5).
• Graduate student guard/forward Kellen Amos joins the Owls after transferring from Central Connecticut State, where he twice earned All-Northeast Conference. Last season, he averaged 11.8 points and led the team with 5.2 rebounds, while placing sixth in the NEC in blocks per game (1.1) and ninth in free throw percentage (.747).
• Graduate student guard Trae Broadnax comes to South Main after spending the last two seasons at USC Upstate. Last year, he earned Second Team All-Big South Conference honors after leading the team in both scoring (14.2) and assists (3.5).
• Rice averaged 72.0 points per game last year while allowing 75.0.
• The Owls connected on 44.3% from the field and 33.7% from three. Their opponents connected on 45.1% from the floor and 37.6% from behind the arc.
• Rice was outrebounded by its opponents, 35.6-to-35.4.
• Head coach Rob Lanier is in his first season at the helm of the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting Florida State
• Florida State enters Saturday's game with a 1-0 record after defeating Northern Kentucky, 74-62, in its season opener.
• FSU returns seven letterwinners and just one starter from last year's squad that went 17-16.
• Redshirt senior guard Jamir Watkins returns after leading the team in scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg), and steals (1.9 spg) as he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors
• Along with Watkins, Florida State will lean on a pair of newcomers, including graduate transfer Bostyn Holt (12.3 ppg, 3.1 apg at South Dakota), and second-year transfer forward Jerry Deng (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg at Hampton).
• Florida State averaged 76.5 points per game last year while allowing 76.3.
• The Seminoles connected on 45.3% from the field and 31.7% from three. Their opponents connected on 45.4% from the floor and 35.4% from behind the arc.
• FSU was outrebounded by its opponents, 33.3-to-36.8.
• Head coach Leonard Hamilton is in his 23rd season at the helm of the Florida State men's basketball program, where he has a 422-281 record. In 37 years as a head coach, Hamilton is 622-490.
Rice-Florida State Series History
• Rice and Florida State will meet for the eighth time overall, with FSU holding a 5-2 record.
• This is the first meeting since 1997, a 65-53 Florida State victory.
• Rice is looking for its first victory over the Seminoles since an 83-80 win in Houston in 1968-69.
• Florida State won the only other neutral site contest, an 81-56 decision in the 1964 All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City.
Next Up
• Rice returns to Tudor Fieldhouse for a pair of games, beginning next Tuesday, Nov. 12, when it hosts Louisiana-Monroe. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be streamed at ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
WBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09
VB: Rice-Texas Postgame Presser
Saturday, December 04
VB: Rice-San Diego Postgame Presser
Thursday, December 02