https://riceowls.com/news/2018/11/5/mens...-T284Bu9Ps
This is a tougher test than you might think (they have a bunch of transfers and won their exhibition game by 60 points), but this is a game Rice has to win if it wants to be an improved team in 2018-19. I actually think our NC schedule is a bit tougher than past years with games at UH (ESPN BPI of 22), BYU (41), Penn (94) and Wichita State (90), and then three conference teams are in various top-125 RPI lists too in Western Kentucky, Marshall and Old Dominion.
Based on what I saw in the exhibition game, we'll probably start the same line-up as the other night (Adams, Parrish, Peterson, Williams and Harrison), but I wouldn't be surprised if Rob Martin replaces either Williams or Harrison in the line-up down the road, and I think Payton Moore and Chris Mullins will be off the bench early and get lots of playing time as true freshmen (there will be times where we need to go with 3 guards).
This game, Alabama A&M, Northwestern State and St. Edwards are the four home games we have to win. We've got about five toss-up NC games (at Texas State, Lamar, UCSB, at UTRGV, Omaha) in non-conference play, and then we'll likely be decent underdogs in the rest of the NC games. Conference play will probably be dictated by how we do in the non-conference games but starting off the conference season with probably the three easiest home games we have for now could help. I wish we didn't have to play at Charlotte and the two Florida schools but it is what it is.
Go ahead and vote if you haven't done so but afterwards, come out and watch the Owls.