2023-24 (Freshman)
Eli Rice played in 17 games and averaged 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game • Shot 37 percent from the field and 72 percent from the line • Suffered an ankle injury in practice in late January and missed the Huskers' final 13 contests • Finished with five points and four rebounds at Maryland on Jan. 27 • Reached double fiugres for the third time this year with 11 points and four rebounds in 18 minutes at Iowa on Jan. 12 • Had 10 points in a season-high 24 minutes in the win over South Carolina State • Tallied a season-high 16 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, and four rebounds against Florida A&M • Grabbed five rebounds in the season opener against Lindenwood.
Before Nebraska
Rice attended IMG Academy and played for the school's postgrad team in 2022-23, helping the school to a 24-3 record and quarterfinals appearance in the National Prep Championship. Rice averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists per game for Coach Jim Carr's squad in 2022-23, shooting 35 percent from 3-point range and nearly 80 percent from the foul line. He had a season-high 33 points in a win over Montverde in the IMG Sunshine Prep Showcase. A three-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and On3, he was rated No. 179 nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings and among the top-15 recruits in the state of Florida by 247Sports.
Rice starred at Beech High School in 2021-22, averaging 17.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He helped Coach Kip Brown’s team to a 34-2 record, including a 33-game win streak, and the school’s first appearance in the state tournament since 2010. For his efforts, Rice was named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association's all-state high school boys basketball teams in Class 4A and was named the Sumner County Player of the Year. Rice, who only played two seasons of high school basketball and grew seven inches from his freshman to junior seasons, was a first-team all-county pick at Station Camp (Tenn.) High as a junior. He played AAU with Team Thrill and Coach Donald Thomas III, helping his team to the UAA U17 championship in 2022. Rice, who was also a member of the honor roll, also considered Georgetown and VCU before signing with Nebraska.
Personal
The son of Sheena Smith and Jacoby Rice, Elijah Rice was born on Aug. 10, 2004, in Nashville, Tenn. He has three brothers (Noah, Braden and Sylas). Eli has not declared a major at Nebraska. He will look to be the fourth Husker basketball letterwinner from Tennessee and the first since Amos Gregory in 1992-93.