basketball preview 2013-2014 season [women's]

By Michael Kidd     11/5/13 6:00pm

The Rice Owls women's basketball team is all set to head out on the road and compete in its season opener against Prairie View A&M University Friday, Nov. 8. Four starters are returning from last year's team and look to be key contributors to the 2013-14 squad.

Head Coach Greg Williams, who is in his ninth year in this position, said he has high hopes his team will gather more wins and play well even with the conference undergoing major reconstruction. Williams said that even though the Owls lost many close games last year, he believes more conference wins are on the way.

"Well, of course every team wants to win the conference," Williams said. "There are now 16 teams [in Conference USA], and [of those 16], eight [are] new teams. We lost a lot of close games last year, but I'm hoping that an added year of confidence, experience and improvement can get us more conference wins."

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The team is looking to improve on its 14-16 finish last season. The Owls finished 2-12 last year on the road and posted a home record of 12-4. The team hopes to carry that same kind of success into this season. 

Williams said senior forward Jessica Kuster is one of the best players Rice women's basketball has ever seen.

"[Kuster] is on pace to become the all-time points and rebounders leader [at Rice] and arguably is the best player in [Rice] history," Williams said. "[Kuster] led the league in blocked shots and affects the game on both ends of the floor. She is a pleasure to coach and was recently voted a captain for the third consecutive year."

Williams said in his nine years of coaching, this team has been one of his most cohesive and can serve as a good role model for the community.

"We have really good chemistry, and [the] players really do care for each other on and off the court," Williams said. "They are great ambassadors for Rice and work very hard for practice, which is all a coach can ask."

Sophomore forward Megan Palmer averaged nearly 10 points and six rebounds per game last year as a starting forward. She said she hopes this year's team will perform better this upcoming season.

"From the team aspect, we have some good freshmen coming in that are really going to be helpful," Palmer said. "I think it helps that we have more experience because we had a really young team [last year]. We are returning most of our rebounding and scoring as well. [The] conference has changed completely, though, so it's really anyone's game."

Palmer said Kuster is a great leader for the team because of how much effort she puts in both on and off the court .

"She is a great leader," Palmer said. "She really encourages everyone to step up and play hard, and off the court, [she] is just a great friend. [Kuster is] motivating by example: not in your face, but just out there to work hard."

Palmer, like many of her teammates, said she believes the goal for the Owls is to compete for the coveted C-USA title and improve the program's prestige.

"We want to be conference champs, and we want to go to the NCAA tournament," Palmer said. "[It's a] go big or go home mentality."

The 6-foot-2-inch Kuster is the only senior on the squad. Kuster said with her adopted leadership role, she is committed to intertwining her individual goals with the team's goals. Kuster said her ultimate goal is to make a postseason appearance.

"My individual goals are the team's goals," Kuster said. "We made the [Women's National Invitation Tournament] my freshman year, and [I] would love to have gone in and go out with a postseason appearance. So whatever I can do to get us a postseason appearance is my goal this year."

Kuster said she believes her quiet yet driven characteristics are something different from what most people expect of her.

"It's different because it's more of a forced leadership role since I'm more of a lead-by-example person," Kuster said. "Coaches expect me to speak up more, and teammates expect me to be more vocal, and it has been a lot to balance out over time."

Kuster said she has not yet decided on her future after leaving Rice but would love to continue playing basketball if circumstances allow it.

"I haven't thought about it too, too much, but it would be really cool to continue playing," Kuster said. "Whatever happens by the end of the year happens, but right now, I'm trying to focus on this year right here."

The Owls' first home game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11 at Tudor Fieldhouse against Texas Southern University.

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