Post by tmax on Nov 4, 2021 15:17:57 GMT -8
The Athletic
Kiki Rice, the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2022, chooses UCLA
By Charlotte Carroll
“Step in, shoot,” says the voice as a young Kiki Rice, sporting a Heat T-shirt, grabs a pass and takes a shot.
The video, which accompanies Rice’s college announcement teaser in a social media post, is a throwback to one of her first big moments in basketball. Her dad, John, took her brother, Mateo, to a neighbor’s house. She wanted to do everything her brother was doing and ended up there, too. So her dad gave her the ball, and Rice threw up the shot.
“I’m pretty sure that I bricked it, so I’m better since then for sure,” Rice says with a laugh.
Rice certainly is and the video is now a funny reflection at a big turning point in her life: On Thursday, she announced her commitment to UCLA.
“It makes me think of how it started, how it’s going,” her mom, Andrea, says. “It was so much fun to watch her play when she was really little and just learning the game. And now to see where she is is pretty remarkable.”
Rice is the No. 2 recruit and the top point guard of the Class of 2022, per ESPNW. She announced her decision at her high school, Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C. Along with the Bruins, the 5-foot-11 Rice whittled down her final schools to Stanford, UConn, Duke and Arizona. Rice enjoyed meeting all of the other coaches and visits to the other campuses, but when it came down to it, UCLA just felt right.
“All the coaches that I’ve talked to were great and I developed great connections with all of them, but I think, at UCLA, it was my gut feeling and it was the place that I thought would really bring the most out of me,” Rice says.
Rice said she learned a lot about herself through the recruiting process as she worked on finding the best fit. At the end of each visit, she and her family would dissect the pros and cons of each school.
She enjoyed her second official visit to UCLA in September, connecting well with the players and coaches. Watching the relationships between UCLA coach Cori Close and her players as they visited Close’s office stood out to Rice. With an academic focus in addition to her basketball commitment, UCLA felt like the place she could take advantage of all the opportunities.
“From when I stepped foot on campus and throughout the whole weekend, I just felt like that could be somewhere where I could have tons of success and be pushed and really enjoy my college experience,” Rice says.
The chance to have an early impact and competing at a Final Four level also was enticing for Rice. She’s looking forward to learning from the guards on the roster already there when she arrives and with the other players in her class. Her class currently has four other top ESPNW 100 recruits, including two other guards.
“They talked me through how they thought we could all fit and play together and be complementary to each other,” Rice says. “We’re all pretty different, and so I think just figuring out the best way to utilize each one of us was something that was really important to me that I was confident in that.”
Rice won two gold medals with USA Basketball, playing for the 2021 U18 three-on-three team and the 2019 U16 team. She also played soccer, winning District of Columbia Gatorade Player of the Year in soccer (2018-2019) and basketball (2019-2020).
ESPNW’s latest prospect evaluation describes Rice as someone who is a “skilled lead-guard with a scoring punch in the back court; poised game manager brings attack mode in transition game, plays under control and distributes.”
Tamika Dudley, Rice’s high school coach, says she is good without even trying, which is a testament to who she is as a person. She also has an ability to get it done, regardless of the game situation, and can easily add a bucket or 3. Dudley remembers a game during Rice’s sophomore year when she dominated and helped carry her team despite Sidwell losing.
“When you need a kid to step up in those moments, Kiki can get it done,” Dudley says.
Rice’s mom is from L.A. and has been a UCLA fan her whole life. Though Rice didn’t grow up watching UCLA, she will have family and friends on the West Coast.
“They’ve got a great sports tradition there, so I think it will be fun for her to be a part of that,” Andrea says.
Evident from the video, basketball has been a part of Rice’s life from a young age. Her brother is a freshman on the Yale men’s basketball team and her father played basketball at Yale. Andrea played tennis at Yale. The family spent part of their time together during the pandemic in Arizona. The trio worked out together and played with each other every day during that span. That bond has made them closer.
“Basketball has been an outlet for me to express myself and something to really dedicate myself to outside of school, outside of the classroom,” Rice says. “Just having basketball as something that’s always there and being able to push myself is something I really value.”
Kiki Rice, the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2022, chooses UCLA
By Charlotte Carroll
“Step in, shoot,” says the voice as a young Kiki Rice, sporting a Heat T-shirt, grabs a pass and takes a shot.
The video, which accompanies Rice’s college announcement teaser in a social media post, is a throwback to one of her first big moments in basketball. Her dad, John, took her brother, Mateo, to a neighbor’s house. She wanted to do everything her brother was doing and ended up there, too. So her dad gave her the ball, and Rice threw up the shot.
“I’m pretty sure that I bricked it, so I’m better since then for sure,” Rice says with a laugh.
Rice certainly is and the video is now a funny reflection at a big turning point in her life: On Thursday, she announced her commitment to UCLA.
“It makes me think of how it started, how it’s going,” her mom, Andrea, says. “It was so much fun to watch her play when she was really little and just learning the game. And now to see where she is is pretty remarkable.”
Rice is the No. 2 recruit and the top point guard of the Class of 2022, per ESPNW. She announced her decision at her high school, Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C. Along with the Bruins, the 5-foot-11 Rice whittled down her final schools to Stanford, UConn, Duke and Arizona. Rice enjoyed meeting all of the other coaches and visits to the other campuses, but when it came down to it, UCLA just felt right.
“All the coaches that I’ve talked to were great and I developed great connections with all of them, but I think, at UCLA, it was my gut feeling and it was the place that I thought would really bring the most out of me,” Rice says.
Rice said she learned a lot about herself through the recruiting process as she worked on finding the best fit. At the end of each visit, she and her family would dissect the pros and cons of each school.
She enjoyed her second official visit to UCLA in September, connecting well with the players and coaches. Watching the relationships between UCLA coach Cori Close and her players as they visited Close’s office stood out to Rice. With an academic focus in addition to her basketball commitment, UCLA felt like the place she could take advantage of all the opportunities.
“From when I stepped foot on campus and throughout the whole weekend, I just felt like that could be somewhere where I could have tons of success and be pushed and really enjoy my college experience,” Rice says.
The chance to have an early impact and competing at a Final Four level also was enticing for Rice. She’s looking forward to learning from the guards on the roster already there when she arrives and with the other players in her class. Her class currently has four other top ESPNW 100 recruits, including two other guards.
“They talked me through how they thought we could all fit and play together and be complementary to each other,” Rice says. “We’re all pretty different, and so I think just figuring out the best way to utilize each one of us was something that was really important to me that I was confident in that.”
Rice won two gold medals with USA Basketball, playing for the 2021 U18 three-on-three team and the 2019 U16 team. She also played soccer, winning District of Columbia Gatorade Player of the Year in soccer (2018-2019) and basketball (2019-2020).
ESPNW’s latest prospect evaluation describes Rice as someone who is a “skilled lead-guard with a scoring punch in the back court; poised game manager brings attack mode in transition game, plays under control and distributes.”
Tamika Dudley, Rice’s high school coach, says she is good without even trying, which is a testament to who she is as a person. She also has an ability to get it done, regardless of the game situation, and can easily add a bucket or 3. Dudley remembers a game during Rice’s sophomore year when she dominated and helped carry her team despite Sidwell losing.
“When you need a kid to step up in those moments, Kiki can get it done,” Dudley says.
Rice’s mom is from L.A. and has been a UCLA fan her whole life. Though Rice didn’t grow up watching UCLA, she will have family and friends on the West Coast.
“They’ve got a great sports tradition there, so I think it will be fun for her to be a part of that,” Andrea says.
Evident from the video, basketball has been a part of Rice’s life from a young age. Her brother is a freshman on the Yale men’s basketball team and her father played basketball at Yale. Andrea played tennis at Yale. The family spent part of their time together during the pandemic in Arizona. The trio worked out together and played with each other every day during that span. That bond has made them closer.
“Basketball has been an outlet for me to express myself and something to really dedicate myself to outside of school, outside of the classroom,” Rice says. “Just having basketball as something that’s always there and being able to push myself is something I really value.”