Men’s Basketball Heads to Florida for GEICO Coconut Hoops

HOUSTON — Rice will make its first trip to Florida for an in-season tournament since 2021-22 when it travels to Fort Myers for the GEICO Coconut Hoops, Nov. 24-26. The Owls will play three games in three days against Kennesaw State, Florida Gulf Coast, and Oral Roberts. All games will be streamed at FloCollege.

Game 7
What: Rice (2-4) vs. Kennesaw State (3-1)
When: Monday, November 24 at 3:30 p.m. CT
Where: Fort Myers, Fla.
Stadium: Alico Arena (4,500)
Watch: FloCollege
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Series Information: First Meeting

Game 8
What: Rice (2-4) at Florida Gulf Coast (3-2)
When: Tuesday, November 25 at 6 p.m. CT
Where: Fort Myers, Fla.
Stadium: Alico Arena (4,500)
Watch: FloCollege
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Series Information: First Meeting

Game 9
What: Rice (2-4) vs. Oral Roberts (2-4)
When: Wednesday, November 26 at 3:30 p.m. CT
Where: Fort Myers, Fla.
Stadium: Alico Arena (4,500)
Watch: FloCollege
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Series Information: First Meeting

Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Thursday night's game with a 2-3 record after falling at No. 20 Tennessee on Monday.
• Senior guard/forward Nick Anderson leads the team with 14.6 points per game, while adding 2.8 rebounds. He's second in the American in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 53.6% from beyond the arc, and third three-pointers per game (3.0).
• Graduate guard Trae Broadnax is second on the team with 14.2 points. He's also averaging 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists, while connecting on 88.0% from the free throw line, good for eighth in the conference.
• Redshirt senior guard Jalen Smith is scoring 12.6 points per game and is second on the team with 2.8 assists. He is second on the team in three-point field goal percentage (48.0%) and is ninth in the league in three-pointers per game (2.4).
• Junior forward Jimmy Oladokun, Jr., leads the team with 6.2 rebounds and graduate senior center Stephen Giwa is pulling down 5.8 boards.
• Rice is averaging 78.0 points per game while allowing just 62.5, good for second in the conference.
• The Owls are connecting on 41.8% from the field and lead the American in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 40.7% from beyond the arc. Their opponents are connecting on 42.6% from the floor, and 31.7% from three.
• Rice is outrebounding its opponents, 38.4-to-34.8.
• The Owls are fourth in the conference in three-pointers per game (9.6) and free throw percentage (.732).
• Head coach Rob Lanier is in his second season at the helm of the Rice men's basketball program.

Scouting Kennesaw State
• Kennesaw State enters Monday's tilt with a 3-1 record after dropping its first game of the season to South Florida last Sunday.
• Senior guard Simeon Cottle leads the team and is fifth in Conference USA with 17.5 points per game, and is second on the team with 3.5 assists. The C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, he is third in the league in three-pointers made per game (3.0) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.387).
• Freshman forward Trey Simpson is second on the team with 13.5 points and 7.8 rebounds (9th in C-USA). He is also fourth in league in three-point field goal percentage (.435) and seventh in three-pointers made per game (2.5).
• Redshirt sophomore guard RJ Johnson is scoring 11.5 points and leads the team in assists (4.3 - 5th in C-USA) and field goal percentage (.536).
• Junior forward Frankquon Sherman leads the team and is seventh in the conference with 8.0 rebounds, and sophomore forward Braedan Lue leads the league with 1.8 blocks.
• Freshman guard Darius Washington III and sophomore forward Ramone Seals are scoring 9.5 and 9.3 points, respectively.
• Kennesaw State leads Conference USA in scoring with 99.3 points per game, which is seventh in the country, while allowing just 67.3.
• The Owls are second in the league in both field goal percentage (.502) and three-point field goal percentage (.383). They lead C-USA in field goal percentage defense (.315), which is also second in the nation, and are third in three-point field goal percentage defense (.263).
• KSU leads the conference and is second in the nation in rebounding, pulling down 51.3 boards per game, while allowing 35.8.
• It is also third in the league in assists with 17.8.
• Head coach Antoine Pettway is in his third season at the helm of the Kennesaw State men's basketball program, where he has a 37-31 record.

Rice-Kennesaw State Series History
• This is the first-ever meeting between Rice and Kennesaw State.

Scouting Florida Gulf Coast
• Florida Gulf Coast enters Coconut Hoops with a 3-2 record. The Eagles have won two straight after defeating Samford last Wednesday, 77-62.
• Graduate student forward J.R. Konieczny leads the team and is third in the Atlantic Sun Conference with 17.2 points per game, while also leading in rebounds (8.0 – 2^nd in A-Sun). He's also fifth in steals (1.6) and sixth in free throw percentage (.810).
• Junior guard Rahmir Barno is fifth in the league with 15.0 points while leading the team with 4.8 assists (3rd in A-Sun). He is also fifth in league in steals (1.6) and eighth in field goal percentage (.500).
• Freshman guard Jordan Ellerbee is averaging 10.6 points and 4.8 rebounds.
• Senior forward Rory Stewart is scoring 9.2 points per game and ninth in the conference with 2.2 three-pointers per game.
• Junior forward Isaiah Malone is scoring 7.6 points while leading the A-Sun with 2.4 blocks. He's also second on the team and fourth in the league with 6.8 rebounds.
• Florida Gulf Coast leads the Atlantic Sun Conference in scoring with 85.6 points per game, while allowing just 80.6.
• The Eagles are connecting on 44.0% from the field and 31.9% from three. It's opening are hitting 46.0% from the floor and 34.8% from behind the arc.
• FGCU leads the conference in rebounding, pulling down 45.0 boards per game, while allowing 35.0, good for third in the league.
• It is also third in the league in assists (16.2) and free throw percentage (.714).
• Head coach Pat Chambers is in his fourth season at the helm of the Florida Gulf Coast men's basketball program, where he has a 44-50 record. In 15 seasons as a head coach, Chambers is 234-228.

Rice-Florida Gulf Coast Series History
• This is the first-ever meeting between Rice and Florida Gulf Coast.

Scouting Oral Roberts
• Oral Roberts enters Coconut Hoops with a 2-4 record. The Golden Eagles have dropped three of their last four games after falling to Oklahoma last Thursday, 95-71.
• Ty Harper leads the team and is eighth in the Summit League with 15.7 points per game, while also recording 1.5 stelas per game. He's also ninth in three-pointers made (2.0 – 9^th in Summit League), and is connecting on 78,8% from the free throw line.
• Ofri Naveh is second on the team with 12.3 points and 5.2 rebounds. He also leads the team in field goal percentage (.520), and is third in the league with 2.3 steals per game.
• Jack Turner is scoring 10.0 points and leads the team with 2.8 assists. He's also connecting on 36.4% from beyond the arc.
• Luke Gray is scoring 9.8 points and is fifth in the conference in free throw percentage, connecting on 85.7%.
• Oral Roberts is scoring 76.2 points per game, while allowing 79.2.
• The Golden Eagles are connecting on just 40.6% from the field and 29.9% from three. It's opening are hitting 43.3% from the floor, which is second in the Summit League, and 33.1% from behind the arc.
• ORU is second in the conference in rebounding, pulling down 37.8 boards per game, but are allowing 38.7.
• It also leads the league in three-pointers per game (9.3) and blocks (5.2), and is third in free throw percentage (.752).
• Head coach Kory Barnett is in his first season at the helm of the Oral Roberts men's basketball program.

Rice-Oral Roberts Series History
• Rice and Oral Roberts will meet for just the fourth time overall and the first time since 2010.
• The teams met in back-to-back seasons with Rice sweeping the two-game series, taking an 85-68 victory in Tulsa in 1994-95.
• The following year, the Owls won in Houston, 83-72.
• The teams last met in the 2010 Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, with ORU coming out on top, 80-78.

Next Up
• Rice begins a three-game homestand next Wednesday, Dec. 3, when it hosts Texas State. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT, and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results