Saturday, February 24
Houston, TX
1 p.m.
Rice University
vs
East Carolina
Photo by: Rhonda Taormina
Men’s Basketball Opens AAC Tournament against Wichita State
3/12/2024 11:47:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HOUSTON — The 13th-seeded Rice men's basketball team opens the 2024 American Athletic Conference Tournament against 12th-seed Wichita State in the first round this Wednesday, Mar. 13. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.
Game 32
What: Rice (11-20, 5-13) vs. Wichita State (13-18, 5-13)
When: Wednesday, March 13 at 12 p.m. CT
Where: Fort Worth, Texas
Stadium: Dickies Arena (13,300)
Stream: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Wichita State leads 2-1 (First Meeting at Neutral Site)
Scouting Rice
• Rice enters the AAC Tournament with an 11-20 record and finished 5-13 in the American Athletic Conference. The Owls have lost four straight games after falling to North Texas in their regular season finale on Saturday.
• Rice is led by fifth-year senior guard Travis Evee, who is scoring 16.5 points per game, good for eighth in the American. He's adding 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals while connecting on 2.2 three-pointers per game, which is fifth in the league. He's also seventh in free throw percentage, hitting 82.1% from the charity stripe.
• Sophomore guard Mekhi Mason is second on the team with 13.7 points and 2.8 assists while placing third with 4.1 rebounds. In conference play, he averaged 14.6 points per game and was eighth in the AAC in three-point field goal percentage (.386).
• Fifth-year senior forward Max Fiedler is averaging 9.4 points while leading the league with 3.8 offensive rebounds, which is also 11th in the nation. He's second in the league in rebounds (9.3) and field goal percentage (.665), third in assists (5.1), and fourth with nine double-doubles.
• Senior guard Alem Huseinovic is recording 7.5 points per game and is connecting on 43.1% from the field and 39.7% from three, good for sixth in the conference.
• Forward Keanu Dawes is scoring 6.7 points and is second on the team with 4.2 rebounds and graduate student guard Anthony Selden is adding 5.6 points.
• The Owls are scoring 71.7 points per game while allowing 75.3.
• Rice is connecting on 44.1% from the field and 33.3% from three. Its opponents are connecting on 44.9% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc.
• The Owls are outrebounding their opponents, 35.6-to-35.6.
• Head coach Scott Pera is in his seventh season leading the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting Wichita State
• Wichita State enters the American Athletic Conference Tournament with a 13-18 record and finished 5-13 in the AAC. The Shockers have won two of their last three games after falling to Tulane last Friday, 85-75.
• Redshirt junior guard Colby Rogers leads the team and is seventh in the AAC with 16.5 points per game. He leads the league with 2.9 three-pointers per game, is third in three-point field goal percentage (.412), and fourth in free throw percentage (.828).
• Junior guard Xavier Bell is second on the team with 11.6 points, and 2.3 assists and is adding 1.1 steals.
• Redshirt junior guard Harlond Beverly is averaging 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds while leading the team with 3.2 assists.
• Junior forward Kenny Pohto is scoring 9.1 points per game while leading the Shockers with 6.2 rebounds per game.
• Junior center Quincy Ballard leads the league in field goal percentage, connecting on 72.1%, and is second with 2.1 blocks.
• Wichita State is scoring 72.8 points per game while allowing 73.1.
• The Shockers are connecting on 44.6% from the field and just 33.1% from three. Their opponents are being held to 42.0% from the field and 32.4% from three.
• WSU is third in the conference in rebounding, pulling down 39.4 rebounds per game while allowing 35.5.
• Head coach Paul Mills is in his first season leading the Wichita State men's basketball program, where he holds a 13-18 record. In seven years as a head coach, he is 119-102.
Rice-Wichita State Series History
• Rice and Wichita State will meet for the second time this year and just the fourth time overall.
• The Shockers hold a 2-1 lead in the series.
• This will be the first-ever meeting on a neutral court.
• Rice won the initial game, 72-66, on Dec. 28, 1949 in Houston.
• Wichita State then earned an 80-61 decision on Nov. 25, 2018 in Wichita.
• Earlier this year, the Owls fell at WSU in the only meeting of the season, 87-66.
Next Up
• With a win on Wednesday, Rice will advance to the second round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament against No. 5 seed Memphis. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the game will be televised by ESPNU.
Game 32
What: Rice (11-20, 5-13) vs. Wichita State (13-18, 5-13)
When: Wednesday, March 13 at 12 p.m. CT
Where: Fort Worth, Texas
Stadium: Dickies Arena (13,300)
Stream: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Wichita State leads 2-1 (First Meeting at Neutral Site)
Scouting Rice
• Rice enters the AAC Tournament with an 11-20 record and finished 5-13 in the American Athletic Conference. The Owls have lost four straight games after falling to North Texas in their regular season finale on Saturday.
• Rice is led by fifth-year senior guard Travis Evee, who is scoring 16.5 points per game, good for eighth in the American. He's adding 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals while connecting on 2.2 three-pointers per game, which is fifth in the league. He's also seventh in free throw percentage, hitting 82.1% from the charity stripe.
• Sophomore guard Mekhi Mason is second on the team with 13.7 points and 2.8 assists while placing third with 4.1 rebounds. In conference play, he averaged 14.6 points per game and was eighth in the AAC in three-point field goal percentage (.386).
• Fifth-year senior forward Max Fiedler is averaging 9.4 points while leading the league with 3.8 offensive rebounds, which is also 11th in the nation. He's second in the league in rebounds (9.3) and field goal percentage (.665), third in assists (5.1), and fourth with nine double-doubles.
• Senior guard Alem Huseinovic is recording 7.5 points per game and is connecting on 43.1% from the field and 39.7% from three, good for sixth in the conference.
• Forward Keanu Dawes is scoring 6.7 points and is second on the team with 4.2 rebounds and graduate student guard Anthony Selden is adding 5.6 points.
• The Owls are scoring 71.7 points per game while allowing 75.3.
• Rice is connecting on 44.1% from the field and 33.3% from three. Its opponents are connecting on 44.9% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc.
• The Owls are outrebounding their opponents, 35.6-to-35.6.
• Head coach Scott Pera is in his seventh season leading the Rice men's basketball program.
Scouting Wichita State
• Wichita State enters the American Athletic Conference Tournament with a 13-18 record and finished 5-13 in the AAC. The Shockers have won two of their last three games after falling to Tulane last Friday, 85-75.
• Redshirt junior guard Colby Rogers leads the team and is seventh in the AAC with 16.5 points per game. He leads the league with 2.9 three-pointers per game, is third in three-point field goal percentage (.412), and fourth in free throw percentage (.828).
• Junior guard Xavier Bell is second on the team with 11.6 points, and 2.3 assists and is adding 1.1 steals.
• Redshirt junior guard Harlond Beverly is averaging 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds while leading the team with 3.2 assists.
• Junior forward Kenny Pohto is scoring 9.1 points per game while leading the Shockers with 6.2 rebounds per game.
• Junior center Quincy Ballard leads the league in field goal percentage, connecting on 72.1%, and is second with 2.1 blocks.
• Wichita State is scoring 72.8 points per game while allowing 73.1.
• The Shockers are connecting on 44.6% from the field and just 33.1% from three. Their opponents are being held to 42.0% from the field and 32.4% from three.
• WSU is third in the conference in rebounding, pulling down 39.4 rebounds per game while allowing 35.5.
• Head coach Paul Mills is in his first season leading the Wichita State men's basketball program, where he holds a 13-18 record. In seven years as a head coach, he is 119-102.
Rice-Wichita State Series History
• Rice and Wichita State will meet for the second time this year and just the fourth time overall.
• The Shockers hold a 2-1 lead in the series.
• This will be the first-ever meeting on a neutral court.
• Rice won the initial game, 72-66, on Dec. 28, 1949 in Houston.
• Wichita State then earned an 80-61 decision on Nov. 25, 2018 in Wichita.
• Earlier this year, the Owls fell at WSU in the only meeting of the season, 87-66.
Next Up
• With a win on Wednesday, Rice will advance to the second round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament against No. 5 seed Memphis. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the game will be televised by ESPNU.
Players Mentioned
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