A Dream Come True

Travis Rice thankful to play for his father // By Mason Kelley

By Washington Huskies

January 7^th, 2019

BYU players were getting in a little pregame prep. Cougars star Jimmer Fredette was hoisting shots. Standing right next to the sharp-shooter was Travis Rice.

Rice was just a kid. But in that moment, he was locked in a fierce battle with Fredette. They were playing horse.

“It was crazy, because he’s known for shooting 40-footers with ease,” Rice said, “but I would actually be pretty even with him.”

Well, Rice would be in the game for a while. Then it was time for Fredette to shift his attention to BYU’s actual game that night. And, when that time arrived, Fredette would end the game quickly.

“He would start shooting half-court shots with ease and I would get blown out,” Rice said with a laugh. “But I definitely learned a lot just shooting around with Jimmer. He’s a great guy.”

This is how Rice grew up, learning the game around the players his father, Dave Rice, was coaching. The younger Rice has been around the game his whole life, eventually leading the redshirt sophomore to Washington, a journey that began in Las Vegas.

“It’s been since Day 1,” Rice said. “I can remember learning to walk and there was a basketball hoop right there.”

When anyone asks Rice about his introduction to basketball, he brings up his birthday. He was born Oct. 14, and he was at his first UNLV basketball game less than a month later.

“I basically grew up in a gym,” Rice said. “It’s definitely beneficial having grown up around the really good players my dad has coached, because you see things, what they do well, and you try to emulate them, try to duplicate what they’re doing.”

Rice’s first basketball memory has little to do with the game itself. Before UNLV would take the floor, the university would set off fireworks in the arena. The loud noise initially frightened Rice, cementing the memory.

He was around the teams his father coached so much as a child, he became a part of them.

“They used to carry me around and stuff,” Rice said. “Just being around the game, I fell in love with it.”

After games and practices, Rice would try to stay at the gym as long as his dad was there. While Dave was finishing up his coaching responsibilities, Rice would work on his shot, alone in the gym, envisioning the future.

As he got older, he developed a dream. He decided he would, one day, play for his father. It took some time, but here he is in Seattle, working with his dad every day.

“Growing up, my biggest dream was to play for my dad,” Rice said. “Due to certain circumstances, my first two years in college, that wasn’t able to happen, but coach Hopkins gave me the opportunity to live my dream and come play for my dad, while also getting a great education here. I’m forever thankful for that.”

When Rice was younger, his father would share advice, but it was always coming from the perspective of a parent. Now there are the dual roles of coach and parent.

“This is the first time he’s really coached me,” Rice said. “It’s a great feeling, a great experience. When we’re on the court he’s my coach, but off the court, he’s still my dad. He’s great at separating the two, definitely a little harder on me than anyone else, but I totally understand it and I love that he does it. It’s cool, because I get to see a different side of him.”

Rice now gets to play the game he loves while spending each day working with his father. His dream came true.

“It’s been a new experience for me,” he said. “It’s just a great time to be a part of Husky basketball. We’re on the up and there’s just no place I’d rather be right now. The coaching staff is awesome. The players, we all get along and I only have good things to say about it right now.”

He’s been around the game for so long, the question now becomes – will he one day follow his father’s footsteps into coaching?

“Don’t let my mom find out, but yes,” Rice said, laughing. “It’s definitely a stressful job, but I think basketball is the one thing I understand the best and I think it would be crazy for me to not at least see if I like it.”

From pregame shots with Jimmer Fredette to his own college warmup routine, Rice is no longer the kid his father’s players would carry around the floor. Now he is one of those players. But, while he’s older, his love for the game remains unwavering.