Myles Rice Has Top 2024-2025 NCAA Point Guard Potential
SPOILER ALERT: we are really, really big fans of reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year turned active Indiana Hoosier Myles Rice.
Our adoration for the former Washington Cougar stretches far beyond the hardwood. You see, the 6'3', 180 pound product of South Carolina nearly had all of his basketball dreams flushed down the toilet when a cancer diagnosis halted his ongoing aspirations and stole what would have been his freshman NCAA season back in 2022-2023.
Anytime a situation of this magnitude arises for an athlete (or human-being alike) with these type of serious health implications, it goes without saying that all priorities are immediately shifted away from their athletic careers and tailored towards their overall well-being. With that being said, Rice could have easily hung up the sneakers and shifted his career intentions elsewhere while he was going through the grueling processes tied to cancer treatment (chemotherapy, etc.).
But that idea never even crossed his mind, and Rice's intentions to get back on the court and back on track towards his basketball goals never wavered.
The positivity and perseverance that he exhibited throughout his medical trials and tribulations should serve as an inspiration for anyone that is ever cast into similarly sad circumstances. The results of his patience should serve as motivation for the same group of humans.
During his (delayed) freshman season last year, he impressed everyone to the tune of 33.2 MPG, 14.8 PPG, 3.8 APG (compared to 2.7 TOPG), 3.1 RPG and 1.6 SPG on shooting splits of 43.9% FG/27.5% 3/81.1% FT. His production and stick-to-itiveness earned him Pac-12 Freshman of the Year AND All Pac-12 First Team honors. These accolades were earned and well-deserved, and the young man exuded some supremely superb flashes of brilliance as a floor general.
Rice's commitment to IU received a bevy of buzz, with some analysts wondering if he could turn in an All-American season in 2024-2025 and others pondering the idea of his arrival (among others) translating to contention next season. Those light bulbs and expectations may seem sky high, but there is no denying the type of tantalizing talent that the Hoosiers' new point guard brings.
With all of that being said, keep an eye on Myles Rice next season. All signs seem to indicate that he will blossom into Bloomington's next great PG, but we are curious if his ceiling may be even higher after the type of production he cobbled together in 2023-2024 and the fiery resilience he showcased in the year leading up to that
Bank on Rice developing into a top-10 NCAA point guard by the end of next season, and do not be stunned if/when this warrior actually earns the crown as the best point guard in the entire NCAA in 2024-2025.