FAU with a quality double overtime win at Arizona today. They are likely going to be the top ranked team Rice will be hosting in a long time next month.

And Memphis playing well too. The league is absolutely a 2 bid league right now, and could easily be a three team bid league if someone besides FAU or Memphis wins the conference tournament.

Wow, looked it up. We haven’t hosted a ranked team since 2009? That seems hard to believe. But we hosted Texas that year when they were number three in the country. FAU won’t be that high.

Want a longer streak?

Since the frst SWC men's basketball tournament in 1976, Rice men have never won a conference post-season basketball tournament. Rice men have never even reached the final game in a tournament. I think there have been two semi-finalists, but that's it. That's a fairly incredible record for futility.

Rice men's basketball problems did not start with JK or Pera, although neither seems to have been a solution.

(12-23-2023 07:44 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Want a longer streak?

Since the frst SWC men's basketball tournament in 1976, Rice men have never won a conference post-season basketball tournament. Rice men have never even reached the final game in a tournament. I think there have been two semi-finalists, but that's it. That's a fairly incredible record for futility.

Rice men's basketball problems did not start with JK or Pera, although neither seems to have been a solution.

Refurbishing Tudor Fieldhouse was a mistake, reflective of Rice’s half-assed way of doing things when it comes to athletics. Should have torn down and built new. But that would have cost real money.

(12-25-2023 09:49 AM)ranfin Wrote:  

(12-23-2023 07:44 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Want a longer streak?

Since the frst SWC men's basketball tournament in 1976, Rice men have never won a conference post-season basketball tournament. Rice men have never even reached the final game in a tournament. I think there have been two semi-finalists, but that's it. That's a fairly incredible record for futility.

Rice men's basketball problems did not start with JK or Pera, although neither seems to have been a solution.

Refurbishing Tudor Fieldhouse was a mistake, reflective of Rice’s half-assed way of doing things when it comes to athletics. Should have torn down and built new. But that would have cost real money.

Bingo.

It should have been pushed as a multi-event convocation center. Rice really blew it.

Meanwhile, Baylor, which opened the new Ferrell Center in 1988, is going to move to the even newer Foster Pavilion in January.

Tudor was ready for use in 2008. Fifteen years is enough.

Yes its crap. Would be great just for women basketball and volleyball only.

(12-25-2023 01:27 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(12-25-2023 09:49 AM)ranfin Wrote:  

(12-23-2023 07:44 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Want a longer streak?

Since the frst SWC men's basketball tournament in 1976, Rice men have never won a conference post-season basketball tournament. Rice men have never even reached the final game in a tournament. I think there have been two semi-finalists, but that's it. That's a fairly incredible record for futility.

Rice men's basketball problems did not start with JK or Pera, although neither seems to have been a solution.

Refurbishing Tudor Fieldhouse was a mistake, reflective of Rice’s half-assed way of doing things when it comes to athletics. Should have torn down and built new. But that would have cost real money.

Bingo.

It should have been pushed as a multi-event convocation center. Rice really blew it.

Meanwhile, Baylor, which opened the new Ferrell Center in 1988, is going to move to the even newer Foster Pavilion in January.

Tudor was ready for use in 2008. Fifteen years is enough.

(12-25-2023 09:49 AM)ranfin Wrote:  

(12-23-2023 07:44 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Want a longer streak?
Since the frst SWC men's basketball tournament in 1976, Rice men have never won a conference post-season basketball tournament. Rice men have never even reached the final game in a tournament. I think there have been two semi-finalists, but that's it. That's a fairly incredible record for futility.
Rice men's basketball problems did not start with JK or Pera, although neither seems to have been a solution.

Refurbishing Tudor Fieldhouse was a mistake, reflective of Rice’s half-assed way of doing things when it comes to athletics. Should have torn down and built new. But that would have cost real money.

Rice should have bult a copy of Berry Center.

I watched this game pretty closely and have some slightly different observations than some I have read so far on this thread (but also concur with many of the comments).

This game was lost in the trenches. The two forwards/posts (Hosana Kitenge and Joe Charles just crushed the Owls down low). There was one Rice offensive sequence where Charles literally pushed Max from 8ft. from the basket to 20ft, when he finally touched the ball. Further, the referees really let the teams get physical underneath, which worked in the Ragin Cajun's favor. Kitenge used his forearm as a lead weapon to bludgeon his way into the paint for easy baskets continually while he was on the floor. The net result of the interior game by Louisiana was that Rice had to continually double team the posts, which allowed the guards a number of easy shots from the perimeter and to their credit, they shot well. In another instance, Louisiana gathered 4 straight offensive rebounds in the first half in a single possession. The Owls were destroyed on the boards. Max was quicker than both posts which allowed him to get some offensive momentum but overall he struggled defensively the entire game.

The Ragin Cajuns hit almost 50% of their 3-point shots during the game. Most were contested but there were a few open shots where Rice failed to engage, but it was not as constant as we have seen in several games.

Despite the problems, Rice cut the lead to 6 in the 2nd half and later got it down to 8 (then 9) with less than 3 minutes to go when Mason missed two free throws which would have cut the lead to 7. The rest of the game was Louisiana hitting their free throws and Rice missing 2 shots and turning over the ball twice in the final 4 possessions.

Bob Marlin has done a great job with their team. They play tough, no nonsense basketball. Their defense contested every drive to the basket and they blocked 5 shots, but it felt like they had double that amount.

Dawes performance was probably his best overall since the season began. Akuchie on the other hand did not play well against a team that was so physical. I believe this would have been a good game for Ufochukwu to log several minutes and provide some interior strength.

Evee got pretty banged up on one of his (contested) drives to the basket and had to sit while the Owls shot their free throws. Pera gave the FT shooting responsibility to Dawes, who promptly swished both attempts. He also did the same when he shot his own FT's earlier. I am glad that Pera showed faith in his shooting prowess from the charity stripe, even though he is a freshman. He came into the game shooting less than 50% (in limited opportunities) at the foul line, so for Pera to make that decision must show that he is nails during practice.

In summary, I did not see a lackadaisical defensive effort against Louisiana as much as a team that got overwhelmed and was unable to match the physical brand of basketball that the Rajin Cajuns brought in to Tudor/Autry.

(12-23-2023 07:28 AM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  Could football be the only big 3 team to finish at .500 or above this year?

Um...nope.