Where do you go from 3-27?
If you’re Rice University, you (perhaps unfairly) fire the head coach in charge of the train wreck, Willis Wilson, and replace him with a coach (Ben Braun) with over three decades on the bench and a reputation as a man who turns around moribund programs.
First was Siena Heights, an NAIA school that he took to an 8-21 record in his first (1977-’78) season, and 24-6 his second.
Next up was Eastern Michigan. He took the low D-1 program to a 5-10 record after being elevated to head coach during midseason. His first full season was an improvement to 14-15, while his second full campaign netted a 22-8 mark and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
His run at California was an unqualified success, as he garnered five trips to the NCAAs (and a Sweet Sixteen), three to the NIT, and an NIT Title in 1998-’99.
That would tend to indicate that he is due for a strong season at Rice in 2009-’10.
The Owls just might have the talent in place for another remarkable turnaround.
The Owls boast four returning starters from the last campaign: guards Connor Frizzelle and Lawrence Ghoram, forward Lucas Kuipers, and center Trey Stanton.
The Owls, as well as most of C-USA, ran a guard heavy offense, and a key component—leading scorer Rodney Foster—has graduated, taking his team-leading 12 ppg and 70 three-pointers with him.
He also led all of C-USA in three-point shooting (.440) and was second in free throw percentage (.846).
Also gone is a part-time starter at forward, Aleks Perka, who was scrappy but a bit undersized (6’7”, 205) to bang in the paint. He inherited the starting job following a broken wrist suffered by Kuipers, who averaged 8.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg in just 16 games.
Kuipers (6’8”, 220) returns for his sophomore year and looks to be in line to start on the frontline with junior Stanton (6’10”, 230, 8.3 ppg and a team-high 5.0 rpg in 2008-’09).
The race to be the three starters in the backcourt, however, looks to be a wide-open competition.
Based on experience and production, it would appear that Frizzelle and Cory Fleiger would be the frontrunners for the starting point guard duties. Fleiger (8.2 ppg), a senior, was instant offense off the bench, and it appears that he would be a worthy successor to Foster, as he was second on the team in treys connected (54) and assists (69).
Frizzelle, a sophomore, could give him a run for his money after starting for much of the season and leading C-USA in FT shooting (.866) while scoring 8.7 ppg.
Gorham, the senior from Zachary, LA, seems to be a sure thing to start at the third guard/swingman position, with his good size (6’5”, 205), steady performances (8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 25 steals), and string of 62 consecutive starts over the past two years.
This is where an extremely intriguing recruiting class comes into play. Braun hauled in five talented freshmen in the class of 2009, two of whom could dent the regular playing rotation with strong showings in fall camp.
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