Penn State basketball picks up commitment from Big Ten guard

Penn State has picked up a commitment from Nebraska guard Eli Rice in the transfer portal, per his Instagram page. We discussed Rice in our article about players that head coach Mike Rhoades has contacted in the portal, and he was a key target for the Nittany Lions. Rice averaged 4.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game for the Cornhuskers last season. He shot 37% from three and appeared in just 17 games due to an ankle injury.

Rice provides length at his 6’8” frame while having three years of eligibility remaining. Nebraska also ran a fairly fast-paced offense last season, and Rice was very comfortable in head coach Fred Hoiberg’s system. Rice will now play in a similar system, and his athleticism and shooting will be needed for the Nittany Lions, who ranked 11th in the conference in three-point percentage last season. Rice now joins the Nittany Lions’ backcourt which consists of the likes of Ace Baldwin, Nick Kern, and D’Marco Dunn.

Rhoades and staff have been active in the portal over the past few days, picking up Yanic Konan Niederhauser from Northern Illinois, and now Eli Rice from Nebraska. The Nittany Lions now have one open roster spot, again, barring any changes from this point on.