GETTING INSIDE
The Owls are 5-6 and have yet to win a road game despite winning their first three games of the season.
Since then, Rice has not won back-to-back games and has suffered lopsided losses at Harvard, 85-64, and Lamar, 77-61. Amazingly, the Owls had a legitimate chance to win their Dec. 19 contest at LSU, showing real grit in a 65-61 defeat.
In fact, Rice might have beaten LSU had it only made its free throws. But the Owls missed 8-of-15 free throws in the second half, clanking several in the closing minutes.
Rice even matched LSU in rebounds, 35-35, and held a significant advantage inside with 32 points in the paint to 14 for the Tigers.
But there were other problems as center Trey Stanton, forward Lucas Kuipers and guard Connor Frizzelle went a combined 0-for-13 from the floor.
“I want to make sure our posts and perimeter (players) are having good games on the same day,” coach Ben Braun said. “It seems like our perimeters are having a good day and a couple of our post guys struggle. And then our post guys have a great day and a couple of our perimeters struggle.
“I want to see our guys put it together where no one is having a struggle.”
Clearly, the struggles have been most pronounced away from Tudor Fieldhouse.
“It’s a mindset,” Braun told the Houston Chronicle. “The players realize it starts on the defensive end. You can’t go on the road and hope you hit shots.”
NOTES, QUOTES
• The victory over Santa Clara was No. 1,000 in the program’s history.
• The Owls are not winning many statistical categories, but they are winning in turnover margin. They’ve made 158 turnovers to 183 by opponents, for a margin of plus-2.3.
January At A Glance: In search of their first road victory, Rice plays five of its first eight conference games away from home and two of the home games are against very athletic Memphis and Houston teams.
Quote To Note: “I was very pleased. I was excited to see us fight like that because playing against Arizona and Harvard, we didn’t fight like that. We let them bully us. We fought back today, so I was very happy.”—Guard Tamir Jackson, after the 65-61 loss at LSU.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: Rice is averaging 65.0 points per game and is not going to run away from people on the scoreboard. The Owls’ season-high is 81 points. But when they scrap as they did at LSU, they give themselves a chance. Which is why the 16-point loss four days later at Lamar was so disappointing. “We gave up second shots, we gave up offensive rebounds again, and we didn’t secure loose balls,” coach Ben Braun said. “You add all those things up … and they get the second chances. They get a reload. Defense is all about toughness. … We’ve got to play better defense.”
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—G Tamir Jackson, G Connor Frizzelle, G Lawrence Ghoram, F Suleiman Braimoh, C Trey Stanton. Key Subs—F Lucas Kuipers, F Arsalan Kazemi, G A.J. Holland.
Game Review:
Rice 70, Santa Clara 57
Lsu 65, R ice 61
Lamar 77, Rice 61
Game Preview:
Vs. McNeese State, Tuesday, Dec. 29
At TCU, Saturday, Jan. 2
Vs. Houston, Wednesday, Jan. 6
At Central Florida, Saturday, Jan. 9
At Tulane, Wednesday, Jan. 13
In Focus: When 6-7 freshman forward Arsalan Kazemi arrived, he weighed somewhere around 190 pounds (he says 198). Now, he’s closer to 220 and is the team’s top rebounder with 7.5 boards per game. He’s averaging 9.3 points. In a victory over Santa Clara, he ahd 12 points to go with seven rebounds and four steals. “Arsalan, down low, he’s a beast in my opinion,” G Connor Frizzelle told the Houston Chronicle. “He’s pretty quick, so it’s hard to guard him. He can rebound, he can finish around the rim. It’s no surprise to me.”
Roster Report:
• Lucas Kuipers has fouled out of two games and needed only 16 minutes to foul out in the loss at LSU.
• Guard Connor Frizzelle leads the team in minutes played at 32.2. Guard Tamir Jackson is next at 31.3.
• Tamir Jackson and Connor Frizzelle are tied for the team lead in assists at 2.5 per game.
