Rice's basketball program dates to 1914, and the Houston-based private university competes in the American Athletic Conference. While Rice is better known for its world-class academics and engineering, the Owls have had competitive stretches in basketball.
The Owls nickname was chosen in 1912 because the owl is a traditional symbol of wisdom, fitting for a university known for academic excellence.
Winning the 1970 Southwest Conference title and reaching the NCAA Tournament under coach Don Knodel, the program's most recent March Madness appearance.
Rice's student body is so small (under 4,000 undergraduates) that it is one of the smallest Division I basketball schools in the country, yet it competes in a Power-adjacent conference.
The Rice Owls compete in the AAC and hold an all-time record of 1215–1562 (.438 winning percentage) across 112 recorded seasons dating back to 1914-15.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 13-18 | 7-11 (American) | Rob Lanier | |
| 2024-25 | 13-19 | 4-14 (AAC) | Rob Lanier | |
| 2023-24 | 11-21 | 5-13 (AAC) | Scott Pera | |
| 2022-23 | 19-16 | 8-12 (CUSA) | Scott Pera | |
| 2021-22 | 16-17 | 7-11 (CUSA) | Scott Pera | |
| 2020-21 | 15-13 | 6-10 (CUSA) | Scott Pera | |
| 2019-20 | 15-17 | 7-11 (CUSA) | Scott Pera | |
| 2018-19 | 13-19 | 8-10 (CUSA) | Scott Pera | |
| 2017-18 | 7-24 | 4-14 (CUSA) | Scott Pera | |
| 2016-17 | 23-12 | 11-7 (CUSA) | Mike Rhoades | |
| 2015-16 | 12-20 | 7-11 (CUSA) | Mike Rhoades | |
| 2014-15 | 12-20 | 8-10 (CUSA) | Mike Rhoades | |
| 2013-14 | 7-23 | 2-14 (CUSA) | Ben Braun | |
| 2012-13 | 5-26 | 1-15 (CUSA) | Ben Braun | |
| 2011-12 | 19-16 | 8-8 (CUSA) | Ben Braun | |
| 2010-11 | 14-18 | 5-11 (CUSA) | Ben Braun | |
| 2009-10 | 8-23 | 1-15 (CUSA) | Ben Braun | |
| 2008-09 | 10-22 | 4-12 (CUSA) | Ben Braun | |
| 2007-08 | 3-27 | 0-16 (CUSA) | Willis Wilson | |
| 2006-07 | 16-16 | 8-8 (CUSA) | Willis Wilson | |
| 2005-06 | 12-16 | 6-8 (CUSA) | Willis Wilson | |
| 2004-05 | 19-12 | 12-6 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 2003-04 | 22-11 | 12-6 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 2002-03 | 19-10 | 11-7 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 2001-02 | 10-19 | 5-13 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 2000-01 | 14-16 | 5-11 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1999-00 | 5-22 | 1-13 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1998-99 | 18-10 | 8-6 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1997-98 | 6-22 | 3-11 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1996-97 | 12-15 | 6-10 (WAC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1995-96 | 14-14 | 5-9 (SWC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1994-95 | 15-13 | 8-6 (SWC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1993-94 | 15-14 | 6-8 (SWC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1992-93 | 18-10 | 11-3 (SWC) | Willis Wilson | |
| 1991-92 | 20-11 | 8-6 (SWC) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1990-91 | 16-14 | 9-7 (SWC) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1989-90 | 11-17 | 5-11 (SWC) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1988-89 | 12-16 | 6-10 (SWC) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1987-88 | 6-21 | 3-13 (SWC) | Scott Thompson | |
| 1986-87 | 8-19 | 2-14 (SWC) | Greg Walcavich,Tommy Suitts | |
| 1985-86 | 9-19 | 2-14 (SWC) | Tommy Suitts | |
| 1984-85 | 11-16 | 3-13 (SWC) | Tommy Suitts | |
| 1983-84 | 13-17 | 6-10 (SWC) | Tommy Suitts | |
| 1982-83 | 8-20 | 2-14 (SWC) | Tommy Suitts | |
| 1981-82 | 15-15 | 6-10 (SWC) | Tommy Suitts | |
| 1980-81 | 12-15 | 7-9 (SWC) | Mike Schuler | |
| 1979-80 | 7-19 | 4-12 (SWC) | Mike Schuler | |
| 1978-79 | 7-20 | 4-12 (SWC) | Mike Schuler | |
| 1977-78 | 4-22 | 2-14 (SWC) | Mike Schuler | |
| 1976-77 | 9-18 | 3-13 (SWC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1975-76 | 3-24 | 1-15 (SWC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1974-75 | 5-21 | 2-12 (SWC) | Robert Polk | |
| 1973-74 | 11-17 | 5-9 (SWC) | Don Knodel | |
| 1972-73 | 7-19 | 2-12 (SWC) | Don Knodel | |
| 1971-72 | 6-20 | 1-13 (SWC) | Don Knodel | |
| 1970-71 | 14-12 | 6-8 (SWC) | Don Knodel | |
| 1969-70 | 14-11 | 10-4 (SWC) | Don Knodel | |
| 1968-69 | 10-14 | 6-8 (SWC) | Don Knodel | |
| 1967-68 | 8-16 | 6-8 (SWC) | Don Knodel | |
| 1966-67 | 7-17 | 4-10 (SWC) | Don Knodel | |
| 1965-66 | 1-22 | 1-13 (SWC) | George Carlisle | |
| 1964-65 | 2-22 | 1-13 (SWC) | George Carlisle | |
| 1963-64 | 15-9 | 8-6 (SWC) | George Carlisle | |
| 1962-63 | 12-11 | 9-5 (SWC) | John Frankie | |
| 1961-62 | 12-11 | 7-7 (SWC) | John Frankie | |
| 1960-61 | 11-12 | 7-7 (SWC) | John Frankie | |
| 1959-60 | 4-20 | 1-13 (SWC) | John Frankie | |
| 1958-59 | 11-13 | 5-9 (SWC) | Don Suman | |
| 1957-58 | 13-11 | 7-7 (SWC) | Don Suman | AP #14 |
| 1956-57 | 16-8 | 8-4 (SWC) | Don Suman | |
| 1955-56 | 19-5 | 8-4 (SWC) | Don Suman | AP #17 |
| 1954-55 | 10-12 | 6-6 (SWC) | Don Suman | |
| 1953-54 | 23-5 | 9-3 (SWC) | Don Suman | AP #11 |
| 1952-53 | 15-6 | 8-4 (SWC) | Don Suman | |
| 1951-52 | 9-15 | 4-8 (SWC) | Don Suman | |
| 1950-51 | 8-15 | 2-10 (SWC) | Don Suman | |
| 1949-50 | 8-15 | 2-10 (SWC) | Don Suman | |
| 1948-49 | 13-11 | 9-3 (SWC) | Joe Davis | |
| 1947-48 | 10-14 | 6-6 (SWC) | Joe Davis | |
| 1946-47 | 7-17 | 3-9 (SWC) | Joe Davis | |
| 1945-46 | 10-11 | 5-7 (SWC) | Buster Brannon | |
| 1944-45 | 20-1 | 12-0 (SWC) | Joe Davis | |
| 1943-44 | 15-5 | 11-1 (SWC) | Joe Davis | |
| 1942-43 | 17-9 | 9-3 (SWC) | Joe Davis | |
| 1941-42 | 22-5 | 10-2 (SWC) | Buster Brannon | |
| 1940-41 | 18-6 | 8-4 (SWC) | Buster Brannon | |
| 1939-40 | 25-4 | 10-2 (SWC) | Buster Brannon | |
| 1938-39 | 10-11 | 6-6 (SWC) | Buster Brannon | |
| 1937-38 | 6-17 | 2-10 (SWC) | Jimmy Kitts | |
| 1936-37 | 6-10 | 7-5 (SWC) | Jimmy Kitts | |
| 1935-36 | 12-10 | 8-4 (SWC) | Jimmy Kitts | |
| 1934-35 | 20-3 | 9-3 (SWC) | Jimmy Kitts | |
| 1933-34 | 6-6 | 6-6 (SWC) | Jimmy Kitts | |
| 1932-33 | 8-10 | 2-10 (SWC) | Jimmy Kitts | |
| 1931-32 | 5-9 | 4-8 (SWC) | Russell Daugherty | |
| 1930-31 | 8-9 | 4-8 (SWC) | Russell Daugherty | |
| 1929-30 | 7-9 | 4-8 (SWC) | Russell Daugherty | |
| 1928-29 | 2-10 | 2-10 (SWC) | Russell Daugherty | |
| 1927-28 | 3-9 | 3-9 (SWC) | Russell Daugherty | |
| 1926-27 | 0-9 | 0-9 (SWC) | Franklyn Ashcraft | |
| 1925-26 | 1-13 | 1-11 (SWC) | Franklyn Ashcraft | |
| 1924-25 | 2-12 | 2-12 (SWC) | Patrick Nicholson | |
| 1923-24 | 3-17 | 3-17 (SWC) | Franklyn Ashcraft | |
| 1922-23 | 10-9 | 7-8 (SWC) | Phillip Arbuckle | |
| 1921-22 | 2-12 | 1-11 (SWC) | Howard Yerges | |
| 1920-21 | 5-10 | 4-9 (SWC) | Pete Cawthon | |
| 1919-20 | 6-6 | 2-5 (SWC) | Leslie Mann | |
| 1918-19 | 4-10 | 2-8 (SWC) | Wilbur Tisdale | |
| 1917-18 | 10-4 | 7-3 (SWC) | Wilbur Tisdale | |
| 1916-17 | 10-5 | Ind | Robert Cummings | |
| 1915-16 | 12-5 | 5-3 (SWC) | Robert Cummings | |
| 1914-15 | 8-1 | 5-1 (SWC) | Robert Cummings |
Charlotte 49ers · East Carolina Pirates · Florida Atlantic Owls · Memphis Tigers · North Texas Mean Green · South Florida Bulls · Temple Owls · Tulane Green Wave · Tulsa Golden Hurricane · UAB Blazers · UTSA Roadrunners · Wichita State Shockers
All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home
| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|