| Current: | 2023–24 Rice Owls men's basketball team |
| Rice Owls | |
| University: | Rice University |
| Firstseason: | 1914–15 |
| Record: | 1,189–1,525 |
| Conference: | The American |
| Location: | Houston, Texas |
| Coach: | Rob Lanier |
| Tenure: | 1st |
| Arena: | Tudor Fieldhouse |
| Capacity: | 5,208 |
| Nickname: | Owls |
| Studentsection: | The Nest |
| H Pattern B: | _thinsidesonwhite |
| H Body: | 5e6062 |
| H Shorts: | 002469 |
| H Pattern S: | _adidasonwhite |
| A Pattern B: | _thingreysides |
| A Body: | 002469 |
| A Shorts: | 002469 |
| A Pattern S: | _adidaswhite |
| Ncaaeliteeight: | 1940, 1942 |
| Ncaasweetsixteen: | 1954 |
| Ncaatourneys: | 1940, 1942, 1954, 1970 |
| Conference Season: | 1918, 1935, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1949, 1954, 1970 |
The Rice Owls men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of Rice University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the American Athletic Conference. They previously participated in the Southwest Conference (1914–1996), the Western Athletic Conference (1996–2005), and Conference USA (2005–2023).
The Owls play their home games in Tudor Fieldhouse, which they have called home since 1950. Previously known as Rice Gymnasium, it was renamed in honor of Rice alum Bobby Tudor, who spearheaded the 2008 renovation of the facility with a multimillion-dollar donation. The court is designated "Autry Court" in memory of Mrs. James L. Autry. Her husband James Lockhart Autry was a descendant of Micajah Autry, who was a hero of the Battle of the Alamo. Her daughter, Mrs. Edward W. Kelley, made a generous donation to the gymnasium building fund in honor of her late mother, an ardent supporter of Rice.
| Head Coach | Years | Win–loss | Pct. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Cummings | 1914–1917 | 30–11 | .732 | |
| Wilbur Tisdale | 1917–1919 | 14–14 | .500 | |
| Leslie Mann | 1919–1920 | 6–6 | .500 | |
| Pete Cawthon | 1920–1921 | 5–10 | .333 | |
| Howard Yerges Sr. | 1921–1922 | 2–12 | .143 | |
| Philip Arbuckle | 1922–1923 | 10–9 | .526 | |
| Franklyn Ashcraft | 1923–1924 | 3–17 | .150 | |
| John Patrick Nicholson | 1924–1925 | 2–12 | .143 | |
| Franklyn Ashcraft | 1925–1927 | 1–22 | .043 | |
| Russell Daugherty | 1927–1932 | 25–46 | .352 | |
| James Kitts | 1932–1938 | 48–56 | .462 | |
| Buster Brannon | 1938–1942 | 68–20 | .773 | |
| Joe Davis | 1942–1945 | 52–10 | .839 | |
| Buster Brannon | 1945–1946 | 17–16 | .515 | |
| Joe Davis | 1946–1949 | 31–46 | .403 | |
| Don Suman | 1949–1959 | 149–106 | .584 | |
| John Frankie | 1959–1963 | 39–54 | .419 | |
| George Carlisle | 1963–1966 | 18–53 | .254 | |
| Don Knodel | 1966–1974 | 77–126 | .379 | |
| Bob Polk | 1974–1977 | 17–63 | .212 | |
| Mike Schuler | 1977–1981 | 30–76 | .283 | |
| Tommy Suitts | 1981–1987 | 64–106 | .376 | |
| Scott Thompson | 1987–1992 | 65–79 | .451 | |
| Willis Wilson | 1992–2008 | 219–246 | .471 | |
| Ben Braun | 2008–2014 | 63–128 | .330 | |
| Mike Rhoades | 2014–2017 | 47–52 | .474 | |
| Scott Pera | 2017–2024 | 96–127 | .430 | |
| Rob Lanier | 2024–present | 0–0 | .000 |
The Owls have appeared in four NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 2–5. Their drought of 53 years is the eighth longest drought between appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament history.
| First round Regional third-place game | Kansas Colorado | L 44–50 W 60–56 | ||
| First round Regional third-place game | Stanford Kansas | L 47–53 L 53–55 | ||
| Sweet Sixteen Regional third-place game | Oklahoma A&M<br />Colorado | L 45–51 W 78–55 | ||
| First round | New Mexico State | L 77–101 |
The Owls have appeared in five National Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 1–6.
| Quarterfinals | St. John's | L 49–51 | ||
| First round | Arkansas State | L 71–78 | ||
| First round Second round | Wisconsin Boston College | W 77–73 L 68–101 | ||
| Opening Round | UW-Milwaukee | L 53–91 | ||
| Opening Round | Southwest Missouri State | L 82–105 |
The Owls have appeared in three College Basketball Invitational (CBI) tournaments. Their combined record is 2–3.
| First round Quarterfinals | San Francisco Utah Valley | W 85–76 L 79–85 | ||
| First round | Ohio | L 64–65 | ||
| First round Quarterfinals | Duquesne Southern Utah | W 84–78 L 79–81 |
The Owls have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their combined record is 2–1.
| First round Second round Quarterfinals | Louisiana-Lafayette Drake Oakland | W 68–63 W 74–68 L 70–77 |
See main article: List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers. Rice University has retired six numbers.
| 16 | 1942–45 | [1] | ||
| 21 | 1951–54 | |||
| 22 | 1939–43 | |||
| 23 | 1938–42 | |||
| 25 | 1979–82 | |||
| 29 | Don Lance | 1951–54 |