Catching Up with SC 2021 PG Tyler Rice

Tyler Rice is a top point guard in the SC 2021 class. His ability to shoot the basketball off the catch and bounce makes him dangerous. Rice is an elite ball handler that finds his teammates and creates offense for his team. He is a head-up guard that has excellent court vision and decision-making skills, always making the right reads. The Ridge View junior currently holds offers from Western Carolina, Penn State, Elon, USC-Upstate, NC A&T, and William & Mary. On the Big Shots Circuit, Rice has been extremely impressive with his ability to be a high level two-way player.

We had a chance to catch up with Tyler Rice and hear more about his recruitment, what he is looking for in a school, and his development as a player.

Question: How has the recruiting process been and which schools are showing you the most interest?

Tyler Rice: “The recruiting process has been a very long and thoughtful process but I’m enjoying it. Penn State, USC Upstate, Elon, Western Carolina, William & Mary, and NC A&T have expressed strong interest by offering me along with these schools who have not offered yet: Toledo, Air Force, UPenn, UT-Chat, Army, Charleston Southern, Dartmouth and College of Charleston.”

Question: What qualities are you looking for in your potential college coach and program? 

Rice: “I’m looking for a Coach where our relationship is great with each other and a coach who is going to value me as a player and a person.  I’m also looking for a program that has a family-like atmosphere.”

Question: How would you describe your game on the court? 

Rice: “I would describe my game as balanced. I can score from all three levels on offense in iso situations and ball screen situations while getting my teammates involved and I also love playing defense.”

Question: In what areas of your game would you like to improve as you prepare for the next level? 

Rice: “I want to improve on just getting stronger, quicker and faster.”

Question: Who is your favorite player to study and why?

Rice: “Damian Lillard is my favorite player to study because of his ability to score from all three levels in different situations.  His confidence is off the charts so just studying how he approaches the game is something I can add to my game.”

Question: How has playing in Big Shots events helped your player development and recruitment?

Rice: “It’s helped a lot. My brother who now plays at the Citadel and I grew up playing in that circuit and it has been nothing short of good to us. There’s no shortage of competition on the Big Shots circuit. It helped both of us acquire some of our very first interests from colleges. We’re extremely grateful for the Big Shots circuit!”

We look forward to keeping up with Tyler and continuing to follow his progression as a very talented player in SC’s 2021 class.