Oct. 18, 2005

This season's Rice Owls basketball team will be vastly different than last year's squad. Missing are two of the top-10 scorers in Rice history in Michael Harris and Jason McKrieth. Harris finished his career as Rice's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, while McKrieth concluded his career as the Owls' seventh all-time leading scorer. Point production this season will certainly be more evenly distributed. Instead of two guys (Harris and McKrieth) averaging 35 points, don't be surprised if the Owls have four or five players averaging 10 or more points per game.

Willis Wilson, now in his 14th season at Rice certainly believes this year's squad will be more balanced.

"Number one, we are going to be a more balanced team and we have the ability to be a better team, because we are going to count on more people for fewer things," says Wilson. "Everybody has to bring their piece of the puzzle to the table for us to put things together. In terms of execution and the end result we want to play the same style of basketball, but I think the way we get there will be somewhat different. Our attack on the offensive side will be geared more towards our perimeters in Lorenzo Williams, Morris Almond, and J.R. Harrison. Those three guys in particular will have to initiate our offense and will have to build our inside game with a committee of post players."

This is the year for Owl players to step out of the shadows casted by the vacated Harris and McKrieth. It is time for junior guard Morris Almond to become Rice's best offensive threat from the perimeter and for senior J.R. Harrison to bring his game up another level by doing even more damage inside as well as on the perimeter. Furthermore, Lorenzo Williams needs to become the floor general.

Says Wilson, "I do think each one of those guys sees himself contributing more in all the ways that are necessary for them to have individual success and more importantly for us to have team success."

Almond, a year ago, averaged 7.2 ppg while shooting 53 percent from the field, a team-high 46 percent from three-point range, and a team-high 81 percent at the free-throw line. He certainly will get more minutes and have more freedom in 2005-06.

"Morris just has uncanny instincts when it comes to scoring. He is as complete an offensive player that I've ever coached in that he can shoot the three, he can get to mid-range and score, he can get to the rim off the dribble, and he also has the ability to post-up," comments Wilson. "With his size and dexterity, it's hard to imagine that he won't have a terrific year. He's got to be a fast starter and he's got to be a strong finisher for us. Everybody knows that he has the explosiveness on the offensive side. But, basketball is a game of momentum and night-in and night-out teams that start fast and finish strong are teams that are going to win games and that are what he's got to help us to be able to do."

Harrison is the top returning rebounder (4.4 rpg) and scorer (9.1 ppg) from last year and he will be heavily depended upon to increase those averages. "He is a steady player for us. He knows the game and plays within the system and plays with teammates well," says Wilson. "J.R. is just a very, very good basketball player. He makes things look easy at times and other times he shows how explosive he is."

At the other guard position the Owls return super-quick guard Lorenzo Williams, who made 15 starts before a thigh bruise caused him to miss several games. In 24 games of action, he passed out 102 assists and averaged six points a game. Since the end of last season the junior has improved his outside shooting and his playmaking abilities from a year ago.

Says Wilson on Williams' progress from last year, "Lorenzo needs to become more vocal, but his confidence has gone to another level and he's stronger and he's able to do more things for longer periods of time. He's also improved his outside shot which will help his game and give it another dimension."

Also competing for minutes at the guard position is freshman Rodney Foster from Katy and Mayde Creek H.S. Foster was redshirted a year ago and is more than ready to get on the court. Comments Wilson, "Rodney is a bit of an unknown commodity because it has been so long since he's had the opportunity to be on the floor on a consistent basis in an organized environment. The one thing you do notice right away is his ability to shoot the ball.

Also, the more you watch him the more you see the intangibles that he brings to the team. He talks on the floor, he defends, he plays with energy, and he thinks the game."

Senior Jamaal Moore is a slasher who takes it hard to the rack and is a stifling defender. "Jamaal has the opportunity to contribute in a big way. He is a super athlete and he has that ability to get to the rim and he has the ability to shoot passing lanes and get steals, says Wilson. "But, the biggest thing we need from him is to be more consistent in making good decisions on the floor and in shooting the basketball. We really need to him to step up and the ball consistently from the free throw line because I think he'll have the ability to get there quite a bit for us this year."

Also at the guard position is junior walkon Arthur Culver. "He understands what we do and how we do it," says Wilson.

Prescence in the Post With absence of Michael Harris in the paint, the Owls need a prescence in the post so positive development of Patrick Britton, Paulius Packevicius, Matt Hagen, who redshirted last year, and the improving Greg Killings is necessary.

"Individually they all bring size and strength," comments Wilson. "They have done a great job of getting stronger and more mature. The biggest thing we need from this group is a collective level of consistency. It is really difficult to separate one guy from the next because they're youthful and because they don't have the experience just yet. Each will be called upon to step in an contribute."

Also competing for time in the paint is senior walk-on Jason Bridges "has improved quite a bit as a basketball player and day in and day out that will us be a better basketball team".

Sophomore Patrick Britton made 23 starts a year ago and knows what it takes to compete and has added much needed muscle to his wiry frame and has developed a midrange jumper.

Comments Wilson, "Patrick is back to where he was a year ago in playing good basketball. His energy level is incredibly high. My goal for Patrick is for him to sustain that energy level over the course of 33 games as opposed to 23 games like he did a year ago. He's improved his spot-up jumper and his moves around the basket and the more he does those things the more he will help this team."

Another sophomore is Lithuanian Paulius Packevicius who continues to improve. Says Wilson, "He's starting to feel more comfortable being at Rice and in a new environment. He's worked so hard with his skills and in the weight room that he feels more vested in the team and as a result he exerts himself more than he did a year ago."

Junior center Greg Killings has gotten stronger in the offseason and therefore his game has improved. "A lot of his success is related to the work he did in the off-season with his leg strength and his upper body strength and there's a direct correlation between his conditioning, leg strength, and upper body strength to his productivity," says Wilson. "He's at point now where he shows flashes of big time play."

Matt Hagen, a 6-10 center, showed up on campus stronger and leaner. " Matt has transformed his body, he's a much better athlete today than he was a year ago," commenets Wilson. "He's trimmed down about 10 pounds and he's much leaner and stronger basketball. He plays a selfless brand of basketball and he's shown the ability to hit spot-up jumpers and he gives us a lot of intangibles in screening, banging, and rebounding. I would like to see Matt become a high quality rebounder. That one aspect will make big difference for our basketball team and allow him to play quite a bit for us."

Newcomers to Contribute One of Rice's top newcomers is Cory Pflieger whose outside shooting ability will be needed to fill the void left by Brock Gillespie. As an all-state guard from Dickson, Tenn., Pflieger is Dickson County High's all-time leading scorer with 1,784 points.

"He is a shooter deluxe and is a consistent shooter. He's really adapted to the quicker pace of the collegiate game, if anything he needs to slow down and let things come to him a little bit more as opposed to trying to play at a faster pace," comments Wilson. "A thing that Cory is good at is playing off of others. He does a good job of being able to find creases to step into so that he can be the recipient of passes on shots that he can make. Defensively he is strong and has good lateral movement and overall strength."

One of the most athletic freshmen to come to Rice is Aleks Perka from Houston and Klein Forest H.S. At 6' 8", Perka can compete inside, while still being a threat from the outside with his deadeye shooting skills. His Dad, Wlodzimierz Perka, was a high jumper for the Polish National Team from 1970 to 1980. Wilson likes what Perka brings to the team.

"He is the type of guy that can open up the inside game for us because of his perimeter skills. He has threeman skills in a four-man body. Aleks also has the ability to go inside, he doesn't have the strength yet to be a consistent post for us but that will come."

Freshman Charles Belton from Fairburn, Ga., has great instincts for the game and is just an allaround contributor on the court. He can drive, shoot, rebound, and defend. "Utility, utility, utility... Charles fixes what's broken and he fits in where he is needed. He doesn't do things he can't do and he does a little bit of everything well," says Wilson.

Chris Szalay is a freshman walk-on that has excellent skills that can knock down the outside jumper. Comments Wilson, "He has pretty good point guard skills and is a great shooter and he is incredibly enthusiastic." Guard Jonathan Bailey is a transfer from Texas State and therefore is ineligible to play in games but is allowed to compete in practice.

"Jonathan will be a great everyday practice player for us." Says Wilson. "He's strong and he's intense and he has a lot of confidence. He has shown the willingness to do whatever the situation asks.

This is the first season for Rice as a member of Conference USA and its firstever C-USA game will be against Houston on Jan. 11 in historic Autry Court. In non- Conference USA action, the Owls tip-off the season by competing in Marquette's 44th Pepsi Blue and Gold Classic on Nov. 18-19. Rice faces Marquette in game one and will either play Winthrop or IUPUI the next night. The Owls first home game of the season is vs. New Mexico Highlands on Nov. 22. Other season highlights include a trip to Oregon (Nov. 26), to N. Little Rock, Ark. to face Arkansas on Dec. 17, and home dates vs. Utah (Dec. 3) and vs. Texas on Dec. 5 at Toyota Center in downtown Houston. In all, the Owls face seven teams that played in post-season last year in Utah (NCAA), Texas (NCAA), UAB (NCAA), UTEP (NCAA), Marquette (NIT), Houston (NIT), and Memphis (NIT).

Says Wilson, "It's a great schedule that is incredibly challenging and it's a schedule that allows us to get our mettle tested every night. It's a schedule that our fans will be excited to follow both at home and on the road. I also think our non-conference schedule will more than get us ready for Conference USA play. When its all said and done Memphis, Houston, Tulane, UAB, Tulsa, and SMU those are the kind of teams that I think people will be excited about to see Rice compete against in Autry Court.

To the casual Rice basketball fan it may seem that the Owls lost too much from a year ago to be any good this season. But that is not case.

States Wilson, "I'm very excited about coaching this team. I think we have the makings of what can be an excellent team. I really believe we can be a terrific team; one that people can be very excited to watch. We may have lost talented players from last year's team but we return talented players and we return a team that's hungry to prove that there is a future in this program and not just in the recent past. And if you haven't seen Lorenzo Williams, Morris Almond, and J.R. Harrison full-tilt you are really missing out on something special."