Men’s Basketball Welcomes Arkansas State

HOUSTON — After taking a break for exams, Rice returns to the court this Saturday, Dec. 13, when it faces Arkansas State. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.

Game 11
What: Rice (4-6) vs. Arkansas State (7-3)
When: Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m. CT
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Tudor Fieldhouse (5,208)
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Arkansas State leads 2-1 (First Meeting in Houston)

Scouting Rice
• Rice enters Saturday's game with a 4-6 record. The Owls are on a two-game winning streak after defeating Texas State, 77-72, last Wednesday.
• Senior guard/forward Nick Anderson leads the team with 15.6 points per game, good for 10th in the American, while adding 3.7 rebounds. He leads the league in free throw percentage (92.5%) and is second in three-point field goal percentage (43.5%) from beyond the arc, while placing fourth in three-pointers per game (2.7).
• Graduate guard Trae Broadnax is second on the team with 13.7 points, while leading the squad with 5.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He's also connecting on 83.8% from the free throw line, good for eighth in the conference, and 36.8% from three.
• Redshirt senior guard Jalen Smith is scoring 12.3 points per game and is second on the team lead with 2.5 assists. He is connecting on 41.8% from three and is seventh in in the conference with 2.3 three-pointers per game.
• Junior forward Jimmy Oladokun, Jr., is second on the team with 5.2 rebounds and graduate senior forward Andrew Akuchie is pulling down 4.7 boards.
• Rice is averaging 75.7 points per game while allowing 73.2.
• The Owls are connecting on 42.4% from the field and are second in the American in three-point field goal percentage, connecting on 37.3% from beyond the arc. Their opponents are connecting on 43.2% from the floor, and 33.3% from three.
• Rice is outrebounding its opponents, 38.3-to-36.9.
• The Owls are also third in the conference in three-pointers per game (9.0).
• Head coach Rob Lanier is in his second season at the helm of the Rice men's basketball program.

Scouting Arkansas State
• Arkansas State enters Saturday's game with a 7-3 record. The Red Wolves have won four straight games after defeating Little Rock last Saturday, 90-78.
• Junior guard TJ Caldwell leads the team with 12.0 points and pulling down 3.4 rebounds. He's also sixth in the Sun Belt Conference in free throw percentage, connecting on 84.8%.
• Senior forward Jaxon Ellingsworth and graduate student guard Matt Hayman are scoring 10.3 points. Ellingsworth is also second on the team with 5.8 rebounds.
• Senior guard Chandler Jackson is scoring 10.2 points and leads the team with 4.3 assists (5th in SBC). He's also fourth in the league in free throw percentage (87.2%).
• Senior guard Jalen Hampton is scoring 7.0 points and leads the team with 7.4 rebounds (3rd in SBC).
• Arkansas State is third in the Sun Belt, scoring 80.8 points per game, but is allowing 79.6.
• The Red Wolves are connecting on 44.1% and 29.2% from three. Their opponents are hitting on 45.7% from the floor, but just 30.8% from three, which is third in the league.
• ASU is pulling down 39.5 boards per game, which is third in the conference, while allowing 34.5.
• It also leads the league in free throw percentage, connecting on 79.6% from the charity stripe, which is seventh in the nation.
• Head coach Ryan Pannone is in his first season at the helm of the Arkansas State men's basketball program.

Rice-Arkansas State Series History
• Rice and Arkansas State will meet for the second straight year, but just the fourth time overall.
• Rice is 1-2 in the series.
• This will be the first meeting in Houston, and the first game played outside of a tournament.
• The first game came on Dec. 29, 1965, in the Arkansas State Tournament.
• The teams then met in the first round of the 1991 NIT, a 78-71 ASU victory.
• Last year, Rice defeated the Red Wolves in the Nassau Championship, 75-67.

Next Up
• Rice closes its homestand next Wednesday, Dec. 17, when it hosts Southwestern Christian in its annual School House Mania game. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. CT, and the game will be streamed by ESPN+.

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