For freshman Eli Rice, Nebraska's exhibition could help cement a role in 2023-24 rotation

On a roster loaded with veteran depth, true freshman Eli Rice would seemingly have an uphill climb toward earning a place in Nebraska’s rotation this season.

But with each flash play he makes and every practice he gets under his belt, Rice moves closer to becoming an immediate factor for the Huskers.

The 6-foot-8 former three-star recruit from IMG Academy was NU’s lone signee last November. Since arriving in Lincoln in June, Rice has continuously impressed on the court.

He led Nebraska in scoring during its three games in Spain this summer. The Gallatin, Tennessee, native has apparently kept that momentum rolling into official fall practices.

Head coach Fred Hoiberg said Rice would likely play extensive minutes during the Huskers’ exhibition opener vs. Doane on Sunday.

While a decision on redshirting this season still awaits, Rice could take a significant step in securing a spot in NU’s lineup during his unofficial Husker debut.

“Eli is one of those guys you can just see getting more comfortable with every practice,” Hoiberg said. “He still has a ways to go with consistency, like all freshmen do… What Eli does give us is he is so talented. He’s a guy who can make shots, and he can get by his man and go make a play at the rim.

“We’re just looking, with all of the young guys, for being more consistent across the board. He is going to get a great opportunity to get minutes on Sunday. Take advantage any time he gets a chance to play and just continue to grow. We have confidence in Eli.”

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Rice’s development has made a rapid rise

When Rice announced his commitment to Nebraska in August 2022, he was a relative unknown on the national recruiting scene.

He was an unranked prospect from Hendersonville (Tennessee) Beech who had only played two high school seasons due to injuries.

Rice averaged 17.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game for Beech in 2021-22. He led the Buccaneers to a 33-0 before falling in the Tennessee Class 4A quarterfinals.

He then transferred to IMG for a post-grad year and shined this past season. Rice chose NU over the likes of Georgetown and VCU.

When Hoiberg saw Rice play in person for the first time, the lefty showed off his smooth perimeter shot and ability to finish at the rim. But Hoiberg was equally as impressed with Rice’s defensive length and footwork.

“He’s a guy that we followed very closely, and we threw an offer at him very quickly after we saw the type of player that he was,” Hoiberg said last November. “Very versatile; has great size. That’s something, when you look at this year’s roster, that we’ve talked a lot about. Eli certainly fits into that mold.”

IMG head coach Jim Carr immediately saw limitless potential when Rice joined his program.

“I absolutely love him,” said Carr, a former assistant at Rutgers and Rhode Island. “He’s long, and I think he’s still growing. Very, very versatile offensive wing. He can really handle the ball. Very good 3-point shooter, and a very efficient scorer. 

“I think the kid has the potential to be a pro.”

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Nebraska’s vets are pushing Rice

Jamarques Lawrence knows about the jump from high school to the Big Ten as well as anyone.

A former three-star recruit himself out of Plainfield (New Jersey) Roselle Catholic, Lawrence was thrust into Nebraska’s lineup last season as a true freshman.

The 6-3 guard started NU’s final 12 games and averaged 9.0 points over that stretch, shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.

Lawrence said he’s offered one key piece of advice to Rice as he prepares to potentially go through a similar jump this year.

“Just being patient,” Lawrence said. “That’s something that I struggled with last year. If Eli can just be patient, he’ll be good, for sure.”

Lawrence isn’t the only Husker making it a point to help Rice along. Senior forward Josiah Allick said he’d gone out of his way to elevate Rice’s physicality to a proper Big Ten level.

“When shots go up, he kind of does the high school box out where you stand in front of them and hope they don’t get it,” Allick said. “So, I’ve kind of taken the initiative where any time I’m near him, I go a little bit extra and try to make sure that he knows, ‘Listen, if you’re not going to meet me halfway, I’m going to eat up the space, and I’m going to f***ing bury you on the baseline.’

“There’s definitely been times when the play’s over, and he looks back at me and is like, ‘What was that?’ I’m like, ‘You’ve got to hit me. You’ve got to hit people.’ The great part is he’s cool with that. Obviously, he’s not happy about getting hit, but he understands that ‘OK, I need to make this adjustment,’ and it’s OK.”

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