“Keeping It Heel” With King Rice
Before there was Cota, Felton, Lawson or Marshall, Rice was King in Chapel Hill, NC. King Rice that is. Many Tar Heels who were children of the 1980s like myself, King Rice was probably the first player you remember bringing the ball up the court for the boys in blue. I was in elementary school when Rice played, but I vividly recall watching him on the court pulling up for a three pointer or kicking the ball out to Rick Fox and Hubert Davis. But more than anything else, I remember his winning smile that graced the first of many Carolina basketball calendars that hung on my bedroom door. If he had played for any other ACC school, King Rice would likely be hailed as one of the team’s top point guards of all time. At UNC, however, it is easy for Rice to be overlooked amidst names such as Phil Ford, Kenny Smith, Ty Lawson, Raymond Felton and now Kendall Marshall. But on December 27, 1989 King Rice did something that no other Tar Heel point guard in history has ever managed to accomplish. He finished with 13 assists against Kentucky. To this day, it is still the most assists by any player of either team in the UNC/UK series. There’s some fodder for the next time you run into a presumptuous Wildcat fan.
After leaving UNC, Rice embarked on a coaching career that has included positions at Oregon, Illinois State, Providence, Vanderbilt and the Bahamas National Basketball team. He currently heads up the program at Monmouth University on the coast of New Jersey. In his freshman season as Head Coach, the Monmouth Hawks finished the season 7-18 including a December loss on the road in Chapel Hill. The Hawks have some work to do if they want to climb to the top of the Northeast Conference. Rice is no stranger to overcoming obstacles as he battled a drinking problem throughout his college and early coaching years. After finding sobriety over 15 years ago, Rice’s coaching career bloomed under Vanderbilt head coach, Kevin Stallings. In 2011, Monmouth came knocking, and King Rice accepted their head coaching position. He is joined by fellow Tar Heels Brian Reese and Derrick Phelps who serve as assistants on his staff. Last week Coach Rice agreed to answer a few questions from Keeping It Heel readers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him and his assistant Sam Ferry for their time and consideration.
1. MB: What do the Monmouth Hawks need to improve on the most, and how are you preparing the team in the off-season?
KR: “We most need to improve on our mental toughness. We will be working extremely hard throughout the entire summer.”
2. MB: We all saw the photo of Harrison Barnes alone in the locker room after the loss to Kansas. What was your most heartbreaking loss as a Tar Heel, and what was the most memorable moment?
KR: “Most heartbreaking – missed FTs in the ACC championship my senior year against Duke. Most memorable – when Derrick Phelps signed (haha), but really just playing for Coach Smith.”
3. MB: Do assistant coaches Derrick Phelps and Brian Reese ever rub in the fact that they have a National Championship ring and you don’t?
KR: “No, because I showed them the ropes. Derrick and Brian just mess with each other about their high school rivalry.”
4. MB: What is the biggest difference between the way the college basketball is played today vs. when you were a player?
KR: “You can’t put your hands on the ball handler today. We used to get to use our hands more when I was in school.”
5. MB: Drug and alcohol abuse remain a problem in Chapel Hill and college campuses across the nation. I graduated from UNC in 2002, and I was guilty of overconsumption that probably took a few tenths of a point off my G.P.A. College is a time when young adults believe as though they are invincible. What do you think is the best way to raise alcohol abuse/dependence awareness on college campuses?
KR: “Communication, communication, communication.”
6. MB: I know you and Rick Fox are former teammates and friends. What is your favorite Rick Fox movie, and do you think he will ever win an Oscar?
KR: “I don’t have a favorite movie of Rick’s. I thought his best acting was in Oz. And heck no, he will never win an Oscar.”
7. MB: What is the best advice a coach has ever given to you?
KR: “Play harder than everybody else.”
8. MB: As a Tar Heel, where was your favorite place to play away games and why?
KR: “Duke because their fans were funny and we had success over there.”