Sept. 11, 2006

Rice University head basketball coach Willis Wilson, starting his 15th season, has announced the 2006-07schedule. This year's slate features 15 home games and dates vs. seven schools that played in post-season in 2005-06.

"This schedule allows our basketball team to grow and at the same time play on a national stage," says Wilson. "In particulary, the opportunity to play in the NIT Season Tip-Off gives a lot exposure to our program and for us to be post-season we need people to know about us early in the season. Oregon, from the PAC-10, and Vanderbilt, out of the SEC, are two great games for our fans to be a part of and I'm really excited that we can bring that caliber of competition into Autry Court. "

Action gets underway on Nov. 11 when the Owls host Paul Quinn College. From there, Rice plays on the national stage, vs. Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., as only one of 16 teams in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Rice will either face Colorado State or Baylor in their second game in Spokane. Should Rice win two games in Spokane the team will then head to New York, N.Y. for the NIT Season Tip-Off in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. Other teams vying for a trip to New York are Belmont, Butler, Fordham, Indiana, Iona, Lafayette, North Carolina, UNC-Wilmington, Notre Dame, Sacred Heart, Tennessee and Winthrop.

Following the trip to Washington, the Owls return to host North Texas on Nov. 18 and the Oregon Ducks on Nov. 20 before going to Salt Lake City, Utah, to play the Utah Utes.

The Owls then have a three-game home stretch when they host UT-Permian Basin, Lamar, and Prairie View A&M before competing in the Shamrock Office Solutions Classic hosted by St. Mary's College (Calif.) Rice first plays Belmont and then will meet either St. Mary's or Western Carolina. The Owls' last two non-conference opponents are private institutions in Vanderbilt on Jan. 2 in historic Autry Court and at Princeton on Jan. 6.

This season's Conference USA schedule, unlike last year's schedule, features 16 league games instead of 14 and will be on Wednesday or Saturday, unless dictated by television.

"One of the primary reasons to move a 16-game league schedule is that the NCAA has expanded the basketball schedule allowing teams to play in regular season multi-team events or play an additional basketball game," states Wilson. "Playing a 16-game schedule gives us more balance within our league and I think you get a truer feel also who the champion is or who the better teams in the league will be."

It begins at Autry Court vs. Tulane on Jan. 10 and then the Owls make their first-ever trip to East Carolina for a Jan. 13 tip. The first of two games vs. the Houston Cougars will be at Autry Court on Jan. 17, while the Owls play at UH on Jan. 31. This year the Owls play at Memphis on Thurs., Feb. 22 on national television and at UAB on Wed., Feb. 14.

The seven Rice opponents who played in post-season last year are Belmont (NCAA), Gonzaga (NCAA), Memphis (NCAA), UAB (NCAA), UTEP (NIT), Houston (NIT), and Vanderbilt (NIT).

The Conference USA championship will be played March 7-10 in Memphis, Tenn., the NCAA Selection Show is March 11, and the NCAA Final Four takes place in Atlanta, Ga. March 31 and April 2.

Rice returns the top two guards in Conference USA and in the country in Lorenzo Williams and Morris Almond. Almond, a CollegeInsider.com All-America a year ago, is the leading 2007 C-USA Player of the Year candidate after being named first team All-C-USA in 2006. In 2006, he led the league in scoring at 21.9 ppg and he set a league record by averaging 25.1 ppg in 14 conference games. His 21.9 scoring average ranked 15th in the nation a year ago. He also led the team in rebounding last season at 5.8 rpg. Williams is the leading returning C-USA assist-man at 6.1 assists, which ranked 10th in the nation, and he also averaged 10.5 ppg.

N4 Incarnate Word (exhibition)
N11 Paul Quinn College

NIT Season Tip-Off
N14 vs. Gonzaga - Spokane, Wash.
N15 vs. Colorado State/Baylor - Spokane, Wash.

N18 North Texas
N20 Oregon

N22 NIT Season Tip-Off Semi-finals - New York, N.Y
N24 NIT Season Tip-Off Finals - New York, N.Y

N25/27 at Utah

D2 UT-Permian Basin
D6 Lamar D20 Prairie View A&M

Shamrock Office Solutions Classic
D28 vs. Belmont Moraga, Calif.
D29 vs. St. Mary's/Western Carolina

J2 Vanderbilt
J6 at Princeton
J10 Tulane
J13 at East Carolina
J17 Houston
J20 at UCF
J24 UTEP
J27 at Tulane
J31 at Houston
F3 East Carolina
F7 Southern Miss
F10 at SMU
F14 at UAB
F17 UCF
F22 at Memphis
F24 SMU
F28 at Marshall
M3 Tulsa

M7-10 Conference USA Tournament - Memphis, Tenn.
M15-18 NCAA First & Second Rounds
M22-25 NCAA Regionals
M31/A2 NCAA Final Four - Atlanta, Ga.