Climbing the Ranks: The improvement of Boise State men’s basketball guard Max Rice

The Rice is cooking. 

No, not that kind of rice … Max Rice!

Boise State men’s basketball guard Max Rice has had an impressive season so far. 

Compared to his last three seasons, Rice is on track to set career highs in all areas of his game. 

With just nine games under his belt, he already has 17 assists, nine steals, one block and an impressive 111 points. 

In Rice’s last three years, during which he played 25 games or more, he averaged 4.3 points per game. 

He is now averaging 12.3 points a game and is shooting .470 percent this season. 

His play has helped lead the Broncos to a 2-0 run this week after beating CS Northridge and Texas A&M. He garnered 16.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, shot 57.9% from the field and 45.5% from beyond the arc on the week.

In the 55-46 win over CS Northridge on Nov. 29, Rice scored eight points and contributed seven rebounds, two of which came on the offensive end.

To recognize his performance this season, the Mountain West Conference gave Rice the title of Mountain West Player of the Week, the conference announced on Dec. 5. 

This is the first time Rice has received such honors from the Mountain West. 

The announcement of Mountain West Player of the Week came on the heels of an impressive game against Texas A&M.

Despite returning from an illness, Rice was able to lead Boise State in the 86-71 victory over Texas A&M on a neutral court at The Battleground 2k22 on Dec. 3 in Fort Worth, Texas.

With a career-high 25 points off an 8-of-12 from the field, Rice was cooking it on the court.

Just as Rice’s performance was historic, the team’s win over Texas A&M received massive amounts of praise. 

The win over Texas A&M is only the fourth victory over a SEC opponent in program history, with all four victories coming under head coach Leon Rice.  

“They care about each other and they care about the right stuff,” said head coach Leon Rice. “That’s why this team is going to keep getting better because we have great character on this team that cares about the right things. That’s why we’ll continue to improve and grow.”

The Broncos are currently riding a six-game winning streak as they head to Saint Louis, Missouri, to play Saint Louis.