KU freshman MJ Rice on what’s ahead: ‘I want to be a whole different animal’

Though satisfied with his play so far in his freshman season at Kansas, McDonald’s All-American MJ Rice believes he’s capable of much more.

“I’m doing OK now,” Rice, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard from Henderson, North Carolina, said after scoring four points and blocking a shot while playing 10 minutes in KU’s 68-54 victory over Harvard.

“But when we come back (from the four-day Christmas vacation) I want to be a whole different animal. I want to grab as many rebounds as I can, make as many shots as I can. More importantly I want to do everything I can to make my teammates better. So starting in practice I want to be the best player in practice every single day. I want to be first one to the weight room for the lifts. I want to do everything perfect,” Rice added in a postgame interview with David Lawrence on the Jayhawk radio network.

Rice — he flushed a dunk off a lob from Bobby Pettiford and hit two free throws in an important 16-3 run to close the first half and open a nine-point halftime lead — has played in nine of 12 games for the 11-1 Jayhawks.

Rice has averaged 4.4 points per game on 45.5% shooting. He is 2-of-12 from three and 8-of-12 from the line with nine total rebounds, three steals, two assists and three turnovers so far in 2022-23.

“Coach was like, ‘We’re going to run this play and such and such.’ I was (like), ‘All right, I’m ready to catch a lob,’’’ Rice said of the dunk he put down that gave KU a 27-20 lead with 1:39 left in the first half against the 8-5 Crimson.

“I knew Bobby was going to throw it up there so I was like, ‘Yep, I’m going to catch this one.’ I faked a little, went backdoor and the rest was good.”

Rice said his contributions Thursday made him feel “great. It shows I’ve got to keep working, keep grinding, being positive throughout the process and everything will work out in due time”

Rice, who has averaged 10.1 minutes per game in nine games, has scored in double figures twice. He had 10 points and four rebounds against North Dakota State in 18 minutes and 19 points and three rebounds against Texas Southern in 22 minutes.

“It’s honestly a grind. You are going to have days where you say, ‘Man, I don’t want to do it,’ or ‘Man, my body is tired and I’m mentally drained,’ but when you go in there and work out and are going through the whole process and at the end of it when there is success, that’s probably one of the best feelings,” Rice said. “You know you’ve got to put the work in. No matter what I put the work in and everything else will come.”

Rice — he averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 2021-22 at Prolific Prep in California — said good communication with head coach Bill Self has been important his first several months at KU.

“I try to talk to him kind of often,” Rice said. “Even when we don’t talk (for) a day, it’s OK; I know what the end goal is. I know what I need to do. It makes the whole day better when I do go talk to him. We get to it (discussing his game). Ever since I came here I’ve become a better person on and off the court. I’m smiling more often, opened up a lot. Everything like that and more is good.”

KU sophomore forward KJ Adams said Rice has progressed nicely since arriving this summer.

“MJ is strong in stature. He can do a lot of things,” Adams said. “He can shoot off the dribble, shoot threes, go to the basket. I’m ready for him to play this season. He’s a really, really good player.”

KU coach Self said Rice, “has been better (of late). We trapped different angles the other day and he didn’t pick that up quite as quick (thus he played just two minutes vs, Indiana). I’ve said all along for us to be our best, Zuby (Ejiofor) or Ernest (Udeh) or another big needs to come through and MJ needs to come through to give us more athletic ability. MJ played well tonight. He played within himself, played well,” Self added.

Rice said he’s thoroughly enjoyed games in Allen Fieldhouse.

“It’s crazy,” Rice said. “There’s a lot of love here. Even on quiet days you still feel the love, still feel the energy. When it’s packed you definitely feel the energy. Either way it goes, I know it’s love. They (fans) always show to support. Whether we do good or bad they always are with us. I love our fans.”

KU’s next game is against Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, in Allen Fieldhouse.