NBA Draft Blog Interview with Rayvonte Rice

The journey of a college basketball player from freshman year to senior is all about opportunities. Those who succeed know when and how to take advantage of those opportunities, as well as taking what can be setbacks and turning them into other opportunities. Illinois senior Rayvonte Rice was able to do both during his career, going from overlooked high school senior to one of the Big 10’s top scorers and rebounders. Now, the 6’4, 230 pound guard is preparing for his next opportunities as a pro basketball player.

Though Rice was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois, and runner up for Mr. Basketball in Illinois, among many other honors, he didn’t have the college options you may expect. “I was overlooked by a lot of high-major teams coming out of high school,” said Rice. “The coaching staff at Drake also did a great job of recruiting me though.”

Rice made an instant impact at Drake, setting the school’s freshman scoring record, averaging 13.8 points per game, as well as leading the team in rebounds and steals, and being names to the Missouri Valley All-Freshman Team.

His second season was even better than the first, with Rice totaling close to 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals per game, and being named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference Second Team. Though his play on the court improved, Rice’s sophomore season was not the same, as assistant coach Kareem Richardson, who Rice was very close to, left to take an assistant coaching position at Xavier.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

Between his stellar play on the court, and the loss of Richardson from the staff, Rice thought it was time to show that he could play with the high-major schools that passed him over the first time. “While I was at Drake, I tried to carry a chip on my shoulder,” Rice explained. “I just had to keep working and be ready when the opportunity was there.”

The opportunity came from Illinois Head Coach John Groce, who had recruited Rice while he was the coach at Ohio University. After sitting out a season as a transfer, Rice made another instant impact, this time at his new school. As a junior, Rice led the team in scoring (15.9 points per game), rebounding (6.0), and steals (1.7).

His senior year was more impressive, upping his averages across the board, but most importantly, Rice increased his three-point shooting percentage from just below 30 percent as a junior to almost 44 percent as a senior, on just about the same number of made shots.

Now, as Rice prepares for the next level, he can look back and see how his game has improved over his college career. “I definitely got much better with my shot selection, especially from long-range, raising my percentage from around 30 to over 43 percent,” Rice said. “Also, I learned the importance of defense, taking pride in guarding the other team’s best player.” Not to mention, Rice has been one of the best rebounding guards in the country the past four seasons.

With the start of his pro career coming up, as well as opportunities to work out for NBA teams before the draft, Rice has keyed in on some key areas where he wants to show even more improvement. “I’m working a lot on my lateral quickness,” Rice said. “I’ve been a good defender, but I need to show that I can defend quicker guards out on the perimeter.”

Rice has already had an opportunity to show what he can do when he was invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament to play in front of a large number of NBA and International team personnel. Though the style of play at Portsmouth can be different for a lot of college players, Rice had a good understanding of what he had to do there. “With so many guys all wanting to be seen, it’s important to take advantage these opportunities.”

More tests will follow for Rice over the coming months, but he is prepared for what’s ahead. “If I put my mind to it, I know I can do anything,” said Rice. “Like with my shooting, once I focused on taking better shots, I was able to do it well.”

And Rice knows there is a place for him at the next level, and he looks forward to the opportunity. “Whatever a team needs me to do, I will do anything it takes to help my team win.”

Follow me on Twitter – @NBADraftBlog

Email me – Ed (at) NBADraftBlog.com