For most of Indiana basketball guard Myles Rice’s life, September 12th was a day of celebration in his family as it is the birthday of Rice’s mother. Now the date has a new meaning to the Rice family.
During the offseason ahead of the 2022-23 college basketball season Rice was preparing for his redshirt freshman season at Washington State.
He had redshirted and sat out the year before, but he had a big summer leading into the year. Not only had he positioned himself to start, but he was also expected to be one of the focal points of the team.
That’s when he and his father noticed something off about Rice’s neck.
The left side of Rice’s neck was swollen.
“Me and my dad really didn’t pay too much attention to it at first. We thought it would just go away,” Rice said during Big Ten Media Day.
But the swelling on his neck didn’t go away.
Rice and his family ultimately decided to get a biopsy done once he got back to Pullman, Wash.
On September 12th, his mother’s birthday, Rice was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a rare cancer that develops in the lymphatic system.
Rice was forced to put his basketball career on pause as he was in for his toughest challenge yet.
Despite the diagnosis, Rice remained confident that he would get through it.
“I appreciate all the love and support I have received so far and look forward to the day when I ring the bell“, Rice said in an announcement posted by the WSU Men’s Basketball X/Twitter account.
Rice’s diagnosis forced him to miss the entire 2022-23 season as he underwent chemotherapy. All he could do was watch as his teammates competed without him.
“It was just a battle,” Rice said.
After redshirting the season before, it was supposed to be Rice’s year only for it to be taken away.
With the support of his family and friends, Rice continued to battle.
In March of 2023 after more than six months of chemotherapy, Rice completed his last day of treatment and rang the bell signaling that he was finally cancer-free.
“Just having my mom and my dad by my side, getting me through everything was everything that I could ask for,” Rice said.
“It kind of puts you in a head space of being dark at times but my mom and dad, they got me through everything, and ultimately I was able to come out on the other end of it and now I’m here.”
With treatment behind him, Rice turned his focus to the upcoming season as he prepared for his return to the court for the 2023-24 season.
In a post commemorating his diagnosis, Rice thanked his family, specifically his mom, and made his intentions for the upcoming season clear.
“ITS PERSONAL THIS YEAR!!” He wrote.
Rice made true on his statement.
After sitting out for over two years Rice made his return to the court against Idaho on November 6th.
In his college debut, Rice scored 13 points while adding four rebounds and three assists in a win.
The strong debut was just the start for Rice.
Rice showcased his explosive scoring ability many times, including in a big win against his now teammate Kanaan Carlyle and Stanford. Rice scored 35 points and added eight assists in a 14-point win on the road.
He went on to average 14.8 points, 3.8 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while starting every game. Rice led the team in assists and steals while finishing second on the team in scoring.
His efforts helped lead Washington State back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. Rice and the Cougars advanced to the Round of 32 after they knocked out Drake, but were eliminated by Iowa State.
His 2023-24 performance led to him being named as the PAC-12 Freshman of the Year and a member of the All-Pac-12 First Team.
“It just means a lot. All the hard work that you put in gets recognized and that wouldn’t have happened without team success,” Rice said.
After a stellar season, Washington State head coach Kyle Smith left the program to become the head coach of Stanford.
Three days later Myles Rice entered the transfer portal.
Two weeks after that he made his decision to come to Bloomington to play for Mike Woodson and Indiana basketball.
“The authenticity. I tell everybody this all the time. That’s the main thing I was looking for and that’s the main thing I look for in life throughout people and relationships,” Rice said during Institutional Media Day.
“Woody, the coaching staff, the players were all very authentic since day one and I thought to myself if that was how it was when I first got out here, I can only imagine the more time we spend together and the bond we can build moving each day forward.”
After a disappointing 2023-24 season, Woodson made a point that Indiana basketball had to get better from top to bottom. The Hoosiers were already thin at point guard, and with last year’s starter Xavier Johnson graduating Rice filled a huge need on the roster.
Since Woodson took over, Indiana basketball has lacked guards who can score the basketball consistently and that’s what Rice brings to the table.
Woodson compared Rice’s speed with the basketball to Johnson, but he’s much more than just a quick guard.
He has shown he can consistently create for himself, something Indiana basketball has not had in a guard during Woodson’s tenure outside of Jalen Hood-Schifino. Rice scored at least 12 points in 25 games a year ago and will look to bring his scoring ability to Bloomington.
While it’s obvious that Indiana basketball will need his scoring, that is not his main focus.
Rice is a willing passer and uses his speed to create open looks for teammates. He showcased that during a scrimmage at Hoosier Hysteria.
Rice has shown he can put up big numbers, but that’s not where his priorities lie.
“Everything that I got on the individual side came after we had team success and that’s the same thing that we try to preach here at Indiana. Put the team first, make sure that we’re all putting each other first and everything else will come on the backend,” Rice said.
In his first year on the court, Rice helped lead a program that had been considered an afterthought in the PAC-12 to the tournament.
Now with Indiana basketball, he will try to help rejuvenate a program that was once a national powerhouse.
The roster has the talent and experience for a big year, and Rice has highlighted a we over me mentality with this group.
While Rice is moving forward now two years after his scary diagnosis and battle, it has given him a new perspective on life both on and off the court.
“I think it changed me for the better just knowing that anything that I go through now won’t really compare to it and just having that determination factor that I can get through anything and bringing that not only just off the court but on the court as well,” Rice said.
“Just knowing that no matter what situation that we’re in on the court, whether it’s a tight game at the end of the game or we’re just handling adversity. No matter what I know that not only myself, but I can get my teammates on the same page and get us through.”
In his short amount of time with Indiana basketball, Rice has shown he can be a leader both on and off the court and can help the Hoosiers get back to national prominence.
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