Max Rice’s Final Season At Boise State
Looking Ahead To Rice’s Last Year Of Eligibility
Contact/Follow @Michaelbraydaly & @MWCwire
Can Boise State Make A Deep NCAA Tournament Run In Max Rice’s Final Season?
Following Boise State’s first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament, redshirt senior Max Rice announced in March that he would return to Boise State for his final year of eligibility in 2023.
Rice, who has been with the program since 2018, stepped into a leadership role last season. In the 2022-2023 season, Rice was the team’s second-leading scorer with 14.0 points-per-game.
He could have left the program to pursue a professional basketball career, but he decided to stay for one more chance to play meaningful basketball in the Mountain West Conference.
Returning for a 6th year will mean that Rice can play for his father, Leon Rice, for one last full season. This will give Rice a chance to reach the NCAA Tournament for a third-consecutive season.
The previous two seasons saw Boise State lose to Memphis and Northwestern in the opening round of the tournament. With Rice’s presence in the lineup, Boise State will try to win its first NCAA Tournament game. If the Broncos are going to have any postseason success, Rice will be a pivotal part of that run for Boise State.
With several key departures due to graduation, Rice will be an on-court leader in 2023. With another year of experience under his belt, Rice will be in a position to increase his scoring average from last season.
For next season, Boise State will also return Tyson Degenhart and Chibuzo Agbo. Rice, along with Degenhart and Agbo, will be expected to help the Broncos compete for a Mountain West championship. Boise State fans can anticipate seeing Rice as the primary scoring option throughout the season.
In 2022-2023, Rice had 16 games with at least 14 points. With the offense running through him in 2023, Rice will likely have more games with a minimum of 14 points scored.
Rice will be tasked with guiding the Broncos on a deep run in March 2024.
