Online only: Men lose 15-point first-half lead in season-ending loss to Tulsa

By Yan Digilov     3/11/10 6:00pm

On Wednesday, the Owls let a 15 point halftime lead slip away, and the University of Tulsa eliminated them from the conference tournament. It was a low note to cap off an unexpectedly lackluster season, in which the Owls won only eight games compared to last year's 10 wins.Few could have predicted the 1-15 conference record when a month into the season, Rice had already won half as many games as they had the previous year. But now that the end has come, judgment day has come. What went wrong, and who is to blame?

Guards: B-

The team's guards entered the season replete with fresh faces and maturing talent. The crew showed signs of greatness early in the season, highlighting a diverse duo of point guards in sophomore Connor Frizzelle and freshman Tamir Jackson.

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Frizzelle began the year as the most valuable player of the Rice Basketball Challenge. But as the flow of the offense as a whole began to deteriorate, his open looks diminished in frequency and his shot quit falling. Only towards the end of the year did he show the real threat that he could potentially become, but by then even 17-point games were too little too late.

Jackson emerged as the leading scorer of the Owls this year, showcasing an ability to drive to the basket that attracted Head Coach Ben Braun in the first place. But as he came into his role as a scorer, his role as general of the floor never showed much content. Late into the season, Jackson would make the decision to drive to the basket over the option to pass at the cost of turnovers and even entire games.

When he played well, Jackson proved to everyone that he will one day become the future face of Rice basketball. However, until his decision-making matures, the team will continue to be plagued with debilitating scoreless streaks that cost them game after game.

Though they may not have the stats to show it, the Owls' two and three guards put up some of the most consistent performances throughout the year. Sophomore Lucas Kuipers and senior Cliff Ghoram were rarely subject to the unnecessary turnovers or unenergetic performances that arose from the rest of the squad on any given night.

Kuipers found his form midway through the season after being an ineffective contributor early on. Ghoram, on the other hand, had the eye of the tiger for the whole season. Even at times when he could not seem to get involved in the offensive rhythm, his leadership was invaluable anytime he was on the court. As a senior, he should be proud of the performances that he put up, showing why it is not always about a record, as much as it is about playing the game right.

Forwards: B+

Rice's frontcourt took large strides this season. Freshman Arsalan Kazemi immediately became one of the top performers in the conference, as shown by his recent recognition as a member of the C-USA All-Freshman Team.

His style is suave. His athleticism is all-encompassing. And most importantly, his passion for the game was on full display throughout most of an incredibly disappointing season for the team. Kazmemi amassed a full roll of highlight reel finishes, but to go along with his coast-to-coast finishes, he also proved to be an unstoppable force off the boards.

If you take away some unimpressive performances which were clearly results of a long, overwhelmingly unsuccessful season, the young star had an exemplary freshman year, a fact that will undoubtedly put more pressure on him next year both from his own expectations and the notes of opposing teams.

Junior Trey Stanton also made great strides in his second season with the Owls. He increased production all over the floor, becoming stronger off the boards and more confident taking the ball to the hole under the basket.

The biggest complaint against these two forces down low was perhaps a poor sense of timing. When both players were playing at full strength, opposing teams were forced into a game of Russian roulette, gambling on which threat down low would be most deadly. But too many times, Stanton and Kazemi could not get on the same page, allowing their opponents to get away with man-to-man coverage.

Most impressive, though, was the duo's consistent ability to dominate the boards. Rebounding was a team strength in almost every conference game this year. Unfortunately, the squad was unable to turn those rebounds into transition basketball, a fault that only fueled the fires of offensive stagnation.

Defense: C+

At times this year, the Owls' defense was downright awful. Opposing guards were able to penetrate Rice's defensive sets with ease throughout the whole year. This led to easy baskets and desperation fouling from Rice.

The most frustrating part of their defensive woes lay in that there were periods in which Rice seemed to disappear, giving way to intense pressure and forced turnovers. But while the waves of energy often came without warning, their defensive vulnerability would reliably come at some very predictable times - when the game was on the line.

Ultimately, lack of concentration and inexperience led the team into the same defensive woes throughout the season. Poor switches off screens and slow rotation in the zone were not symptoms of an unintelligent defensive scheme, but rather the squads' inability to stay focused for 40 minutes.

One bright spot, though, on the defensive end was a strong presence in the low post. The forwards showed the repeated ability to trap down low and force turnovers. But the leaks in the rest of the defense created an unworkable situation, at times, ending hot streaks with debilitating drives to the bucket or easy shots from the foul line.

Bench: B-

When the starters needed a quick blow, the Owls' bench may not have been able to come in with a flurry of production, but what they lacked in statistical presence, they made up for with energy.

One of the most underrated players in the conference was sophomore Nate Schwarze, a player that, at one point, was seen as too small and too slow to be anything but a liability on the floor. But Schwarze stepped up his game this year, providing defensive energy and offensive stability.

Junior forward Suleiman Braimoh also provided energy off the bench when the rest of the squad seemed tired or uninterested. The first time the ball came to him, a turnover may have been all but a certainty, but Braimoh came into the season visibly stronger and more confident on both sides of the ball.

Freshman A.J. Holland was not able to make a significant impact while he was on the floor this season, but as he matures as a player, there may be a spot on the team waiting for him as a role-playing offensive stabilizer. Junior Bryan Beasley continued to give the performances that he is known for throughout the league: with spurts of incredibly athleticism he delivered sporadic production despite the melancholy look that seems to be tattooed on his face.

Coaching: A?It is unconventional to give the coaching staff an A after going 8-23, but one thing that has been obvious throughout the year is that Braun's staff has been doing everything possible to get the team better every week. Starting from the very first weekend of play, it was evident that the new recruiting class was, indeed, everything that it was cracked up to be. Known for his recruiting, Braun showed a unique ability to identify talent that can make an impact in his system. His two freshmen, Kazemi and Jackson, were the leading scorers and provided the team most of the few high points that existed all year.

From the very first weekend, Braun showed that he knows how to make a winning team, giving the squad a taste of success with the Rice Basketball Challenge. He showed them they could compete and win against anyone, but somewhere down that line the ghosts of Willis Wilson's mediocrity showed that they still lived in the newly renovated Tudor Fieldhouse.

Braun's use of Schwarze in key possessions showed anyone that has been ignoring his record of success that he can control a team in the flow of a game. But his decision to suspend Stanton and Beasley at the end of the season for breaking team rules also shows that he has the necessary integrity to lead men throughout the year.

Admittedly, however, this situation is not one that Braun has experienced in a long time - a program with the resources and talent to compete but also carrying a seemingly inescapable stigma of failure. For years, he has been known as being a defensively-minded coach with players that are tough and gritty, making this years' squad that was plagued with inconsistency and lack of concentration something of an enigma. But that is what off seasons are for. Players get older, and teams mature. It will be up to Braun to lead his men through the depths of adversity into a culture of success that has never before been seen at Rice.

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